Texas House Passes Budget With No New Taxes: Defunding of Planned Parenthood Begins

Last Friday, the Texas House passed a budget to live within our means, with no new taxes, during this tough time and also started the defunding of taxpayer dollars to Planned Parenthood.

Led by numerous pro-life conservatives, the effort caused a seismic shift in the way tax dollars are used for “family planning” services.  Although tax dollars cannot be used for elective abortions in Texas, Planned Parenthood is a major recipient of tax dollars for family planning services, keeping the government money stream alive and well for the well-known abortion provider.

But all that changed on Friday, when the Texas House debated and voted on the Texas budget.  Rep. Randy Weber led the effort to use family planning funds to restore funding for the Alternatives to Abortion program.  Later Rep. Chisum, Rep. Morrison, and Rep. Burkett put into place a priority list of how family planning funds can be distributed, leaving entities like Planned Parenthood dead last.  Numerous other amendments were passed as well that shifted money away from family planning services.  All these efforts collectively mean that entities like Planned Parenthood may not receive any taxpayer funding under the 2012-13 budget.

The budget still has to be debated and voted on by the Senate. Please contact your State Senator and encourage them to support the measures passed in the House to defund Planned Parenthood. Click here to find your elected officials, or you can download our Texas Legislative Guide with all of Texas’ elected officials contact information at http://legislativeguide.libertyinstitute.org/

In last week’s Legislative Update video, I talked with Abby Johnson, former Planned Parenthood Director and now Pro-Life Advocate, about the impact of defunding Planned Parenthood.

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