Gov. Jan Brewer continued her anti-abortion efforts late Friday, signing controversial -- and potentially illegal -- legislation to deny any of the federal family planning funding Arizona gets from going to Planned Parenthood.
HB 2800 spells out an order for dividing up any public funds for family planning. Top priority goes to government-run health care facilities, followed by hospitals, rural health clinics and private doctors.
More to the point, it bars funding from going to anyone that performs abortions or operates a facility where abortions are performed.
And that, acknowledged Rep. Justin Olson, R-Mesa, sponsor of the legislation, is specifically aimed at Planned Parenthood.
The governor's action comes even as a federal judge has barred Texas from using a similar regulation to defund Planned Parenthood in that state. But Matthew Benson said his boss is unconcerned.
"The governor is confident of the constitutionality of this law and believes it will be upheld,'' he said.
Olson acknowledged the actions of federal courts in Texas. But he said that is a "unique situation'' and the Arizona law is sufficiently different.
Still, he anticipates a lawsuit.
"Those who are intent on taking the life of the most innocent among us will try to strike this down in the courts,'' Olson said. But he said if other states enact similar laws, that will show "strong support'' for withholding taxpayer dollars from organizations that provide abortion.
Similar lawsuits already have been filed in Kansas and Indiana.
A lawsuit could just be part of the problem. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services announced in March it was pulling its funding for family planning services from Texas because of the bid to exclude Planned Parenthood.
"What you're pointing out is the very frightful fact that what we have in the White House right now is the most anti-life president that has occupied the White House,'' Olson said. He called any effort to block funding "reprehensible.''
Bryan Howard, president of Planned Parenthood Arizona, blasted the move.
"This bill shows lawmakers and Gov. Brewer are more interested in restricting health care access than representing Arizonans,'' he said. Howard said polling shows 78 percent of Arizonans favor state-funded family planning services for low-income women, including sex education and counseling services, women?s health services and birth control.
Michelle Steinberg, director of public policy for Planned Parenthood Arizona, said she did not know how much money is involved.
But Steinberg said her organization currently provided family planning services to about 29,000 women. About 25,000 of those are through federal funds, with the balance being served through the Arizona Health Care Cost Containment System, the state's Medicaid program.
Arizona law already forbids the use of public money for abortions. Olson said HB 2800 closes a loophole.
"The reason we're doing this is to make sure that taxpayers, without their consent, are forced to finance abortions indirectly,'' he said. Olson said that if Planned Parenthood gets money for its family planning services it "frees up more dollars that can be spent on abortion.''
Olson said there is a way for Planned Parenthood to keep getting these family planning dollars.
"Planned Parenthood can create two separate entities,'' he said, one that does family planning and one that does abortions.
"As long as they're entirely separate entities, then that is in compliance with this new law,'' Olson said. "That would create a permanent, solid firewall between the taxpayers' dollars and the abortions that many taxpayers find reprehensible.''
Brewer is on record as wanting to outlaw all abortions except to save the life of the mother, or in cases of rape or incest.
"This is a common sense law that tightens existing state regulations and closes loopholes in order to ensure that taxpayer dollars are not used to fund abortions, whether directly or indirectly,'' the governor said in a prepared statement. "By signing this measure into law, I stand with the majority of Americans who oppose the use of taxpayer funds for abortion.''
This session, the governor already signed legislation giving Arizona at least the toughest abortion restrictions in the country, banning the procedure once a fetus has developed for 20 weeks. That is based on arguments a fetus that far along is capable of experiencing pain.
But the wording of the new law, which measures fetal age from a woman's last menstrual cycle, actually could bar abortions effectively at 18 weeks of gestation.
Last year she penned her approval to a requirement for women to have a face-to-face consultation with a doctor 24 hours before a pregnancy can be terminated. And she also signed legislation limiting what kind of abortions can be performed by nurse practitioners.
CSalafia posted at 11:04 am on Sat, May 5, 2012.
Just another example of the 'small/limited government' folks supporting using the government to a) enforce their morality and b) tell a business how to operate.
Leibowitz was right - our state Legislators really are the 90 dwarves.
LarryCroft posted at 12:24 pm on Sat, May 5, 2012.
As a "card-carrying" fiscal conservative living in Arizona, I'm proud of our five star governor. [thumbup] to Ms. Brewer
Rich posted at 2:01 pm on Sat, May 5, 2012.
I planned my own family, thank you. My children are doing the same thing. I didn't need government funds to do it, and it bothers me that a portion of my taxes go to it. Whether it goes to government-run health care facilities, hospitals, rural health clinics. private doctors, Planned Parenthood or the great purple platypus is largely irrelevant, government has no place in family planning, and handing them the power to control it in any way shape or form should not be allowed in any society much less one that has any measure of freedom in it..
asuaguila posted at 5:29 pm on Sat, May 5, 2012.
You are either hypocrites or ignorant. Government has a role in most aspects of our lives and always has. Better to suport less costly planned parenthood than abortions, welfare, or jails later.
If you want to deny our nation's history, which is the history of collective action for the greater good, than move.
downtownresident posted at 5:45 pm on Sat, May 5, 2012.
LarryCroft,
It's not fiscally conservative it ignore birth control. The SEX still happens, even in good Mormon houses.
Pay now, or, pay later.
Kathi Herrod is a traitor.
Fastpitch posted at 5:55 pm on Sat, May 5, 2012.
Asked by my family whether to spend the Christmas - New Year holiday in
Arizona or Las Vegas, (we do not gamble) though we have never visited either, we feel that L.V. will be a better environment for our grand-daughter. Before all the immigrant/Planned Parenthood political bigotry, we'd have chosen differently.
Rational Human posted at 8:17 pm on Sat, May 5, 2012.
Fastpitch, you will not be missed. Take a few Mexicans with you for luck.
assuaguila, forever the communist. "collective action for the greater good" Code for communism straight out of Mao's little red book.
Rational Human posted at 8:43 pm on Sat, May 5, 2012.
Yes assuaguila. government has a role in our lives but you're too ignorant to read about it in our constitution or you would know it's limits.
onerebel posted at 11:24 am on Sun, May 6, 2012.
You know you’re a Liberal if you believe executing a killer is murder but killing the unborn is a choice. Nothing in the Constitution says the rest of us should be forced to pay for the Liberals bucket list of wants. Here is a novel idea. If you want something pay for it yourself, and don't expect everyone else to take care of you. "The Constitution is NOT an instrument for the government to restrain the people; it is an instrument for the people to restrain the government." - Patrick Henry
DrJCA1 posted at 1:47 pm on Sun, May 6, 2012.
I can agree with not paying for someone else's abortion, but PP does lots of other things: breast exams, pelvic exams, healthcare counseling for women, etc. I love the flaming nuts on the right talk as if they are normal but the flaming nuts on the left are not. Any extremism, on either side of any issue, is very unhealthy for our nation.
American Socialist posted at 2:13 pm on Mon, May 7, 2012.
Nice...here comes another lawsuit..."facepalm"