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Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsOklahoma Senate Votes To Defund Planned Parenthood Two Days After Tornado
In the wake of one of the most destructive tornadoes in history, Oklahoma state senators passed a bill on Wednesday that would effectively defund Planned Parenthood.
Senate Bill 900, which re-allocates family planning funds to public providers and hospitals instead of private providers like Planned Parenthood, passed by a vote of 33 to 8. The state Senate was able to pass the bill somewhat under the radar because it was not posted on Wednesday's legislative agenda.
Planned Parenthood operates five clinics in Oklahoma and serves about 8,400 men and women there a year. The family planning provider has faced scrutiny from Republicans in recent years because it provides abortions, even though it cannot use public family planning funding to pay for abortion services.
State Rep. Doug Cox (R), a family physician, said he will vote against the legislation when the House takes it up on Thursday. "To defund a program like Planned Parenthood would be a mistake," he told The Huffington Post in a phone interview. "They perform a valuable service as far as breast cancer screenings, cervical cancer screenings, parenting classes, many things that benefit our state that we're sorely in need of."
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/05/22/oklahoma-planned-parenthood_n_3322132.html
Arkansas Granny
(31,513 posts)organization that provides services that will save lives, not to mention the contraceptives that they make available which lessens the need for abortions. Their thinking is all messed up.
kelliekat44
(7,759 posts)life long demo
(1,113 posts)to do. It's not like OK had any emergencies to deal with.
Mopar151
(9,977 posts)For being too stupid to breathe on their own?
Arkana
(24,347 posts)Goddamnit. Fucking assholes.