Family Life

05.03.11 | Sarah Harnisch

  Planned Parenthood is preparing for a court battle against the state of Indiana. This week, Indiana Governor Mitch Daniels is expected to sign off on a bill that would make the Hoosier state the first in the nation to yank federal funding for Planned Parenthood.  Planned Parenthood says this is all political-- that the 4 million dollars in cash they recieve in Indiana doesn't go for abortions. They say it's all for preventative health care, treating STD's, doing breast exams and papsmears, they say not a dime of the federal cash is spent on abortions, and call it a "smokescreen." But Governor Mitch Daniels says women in Indiana will still have access to preventative care-- the cash will be given instead to dozens of groups that also provide papsmears, STD's, and breast exams-- but don't do abortions. He said he knows the federal cash isn't used on abortions. But it is used to keep the lights on and pay utility bills in the rooms that the abortions are performed in-- some 300 thousand a year-- and it's used to pay doctors and nurses salaries that perform the abortions. He says they are not the only organization that performs abortions that is loosing cash, they're just the largest. And he said huge numbers of Hoosiers agree with the bill. Daniels is expected to sign the bill by Friday.