New Hampshire’s Executive Council voted 4-1 last Wednesday to reject three contracts providing public funding to abortion providers across the state, citing concerns over compliance with a new state law requiring financial separation of abortion and family planning services at facilities that receive taxpayer dollars.
The three abortion providers that were denied the contracts include Planned Parenthood of Northern New England, Equality Health Center, and Lovering Health Center. In total, the contracts were valued at around $640,000. Funds were allocated to several reproductive health facilities that do not offer abortions.
The state law “prohibits the distribution of state funds awarded by the department of health and human services to a reproductive health care facility for provision of abortion services.” Council members expressed concerns that funds for reproductive health and abortion would be comingled.
“We, as the pro-lifers who don’t want our money mixed in with abortion, we need to stand vigilant,” said Jason Hennessey, of New Hampshire Right to Life.
Earlier this year, NH Gov. Chris Sununu signed a budget package that includes a restriction on nearly all abortions after 24 weeks gestation without exceptions for rape, incest, or fetal abnormality. The package also included a provision mandating a financial audit of reproductive health facilities to ensure no public funds are paying for abortion-related services.
Preborn child at 24 weeks
Even so, Gov. Sununu joined abortion advocates in expressing dismay over the Executive Council’s decision.
“I brought these contracts forward because I support them, just as I have every year as Governor, because they protect women’s health and it is the right thing to do,” said Gov. Sununu in a statement. “Today’s action to vote down funding like cancer screenings and other women’s health services is incredibly disappointing and not something I agree with.”
Although abortion supporters often tout cancer screenings and women’s health as the priority, abortion providers like Planned Parenthood have shown time and time again that the real focus is abortion, not health care.
As Live Action News previously reported, Planned Parenthood now commits 40% of the abortions in the United States, setting a record in 2018-2019 of 354,871 abortions, a 3% increase from the previous year. Meanwhile, its health care services have been steadily declining, with cancer screening plummeting over 72% since 2004 and Pap tests dropping 77%. In addition, manual breast exams have declined 75%. (Planned Parenthood does not perform mammograms.)
Moreover, only 3.3% of reproductive age women in the United States actually go to Planned Parenthood for services, and women can receive those same services (minus abortion) from Federally Qualified Health Centers across the country. Additionally, many pregnancy resource centers provide STD/STI tests, ultrasounds, childbirth classes, pregnancy tests, and other medical services — free of charge — while also providing a number of other resources like free clothes and diapers and access to organizations that offer housing, bill payments, and other support.
On the heels of the late-term abortion ban, the Executive Council’s decision not to allocate the public funds to abortion providers represents another pro-life victory that may signal change is coming to the Granite State.
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