Separate Abortion from Family Planning
(H.B. 4655)
Sponsor: Rep. Jansen

Millions of tax dollars paid by Michigan citizens are currently used to subsidize organizations that promote and perform abortions. Although the funds are officially earmarked as family planning funds, when government dollars pay the rent for the buildings where abortions are performed and the salaries of the staff that run them, tax dollars are essentially being used to support abortion. Funds that organizations would have used to pay these expenses are now freed up to promote abortions. This legislation will give funding priority to those agencies least involved in abortion advocacy. Legitimate health services are important, however, and organizations that provide and promote abortion will still be eligible for family planning funds. They will just be last in the receiving line. In areas of the state where no other agencies are available to provide family planning services, abortion-promoting agencies will still qualify to receive funds.

•Funding for family planning programs will be allocated first to organizations which do not engage in abortion or public advocacy of abortion. Public advocacy means lobbying on legislation, endorsing or recommending candidates, or engaging in lawsuits against government units trying to block abortion-related laws or policies.

•This DOES NOT eliminate or cut a single dollar of family planning funding. It only creates "preferred provider" criteria for who will get the funding.

• This bill provides the potential of redirecting funds away from Planned Parenthood, the largest abortion provider and promoter in the United States.

 

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