The Texas State House passed a two-year budget last Thursday that cuts $61 million in tax dollars to Planned Parenthood and provides funds to pro-life crisis pregnancy programs.
After heated debate lasting into the night, the state House passed a two-year, $218 billion budget in a 131-16 vote.
The proposed budget does not “defund” Planned Parenthood in Texas. State lawmakers tried to do that in 2015 by prohibiting Medicaid funding to groups that commit abortions, but a court order blocked that legislation.
What the proposed budget does cut off are “hidden streams” of taxpayer dollars to Planned Parenthood, such as through the Health and Human Services Commission, the Attorney General and the Texas Comptroller.
The proposed budget allocates $20 million for the state’s “Alternatives to Abortion” program, a network of pro-life crisis pregnancy centers, maternity homes and adoption agencies that provide care for mothers and their babies, in and out of the womb.
The Alternatives to Abortion program gave free assistance to more than 131,000 pregnant women between 2006 and 2015 with a confidential pregnancy hotline, a pregnancy care network website, maternity and baby clothing, car seats, diapers, formula, food, furniture, temporary shelter, and referrals to community agencies and medical resources.
The pro-life program also offers pregnancy and parenting classes, job skill training, GED classes, mentoring, and adoption information.
“Y’all, this victory is huge,” pro-life activist Emily Horne tweeted. “It means Planned Parenthood can no longer continue to search around in the budget for taxpayer funds.”
Read more on LifeSiteNews.com
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