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By Michael Khoo, Minnesota Public Radio
April 3, 2001
Part of MPR's online coverage of Session 2001
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Private providers of family planning services say they could lose significant funding if legislation approved by a key House committee becomes law. Last week, the Health and Human Services Committee voted to shift state family planning grants from non-profit groups to cities and counties. Opponents say the move is a veiled attack on groups that provide abortions. But supporters say the switch simply gives taxpayers oversight into how the money is used.
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Ray Martin, the director of Healthy Start, an adolescent health-care organization which receives a yearly $100,000 grant, says continuing the funding for non-profit providers will pay off in the long run.
"Family planning dollars do save money. In the past 10 years, we've counseled and provided methods to over 5,600 family planners. Our estimate is that by delaying a delivery from each of these by just one year, we've saved Minnesota taxpayers $2.3 million," Martin says.
Rep. Kevin Goodno, R-Moorhead, says private family-planning providers are confusing the issue. He sponsored the legislation to withhold funding from private groups. He says the funds will simply flow to cities and counties, thus maintaining the same level of service.
"The people that are most directly affected by these changes are not the poor individuals that are out in Minnesota that want family planing services," he says. "It's the non-profits that are out there. We did not reduce money for family planning. We actually increased funding for family planning. And I think their arguments and their smoke and mirrors that's been going out there's a bit disingenuous."
Goodno also sponsored a successful amendment to block teen-pregnancy-prevention funds from going to any group that offers or refers for abortions. Goodno says if the aim of the funding is to prevent pregnancy, it makes little sense to offer the resources to abortion providers.
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"If you're going to use taxpayer money, then I think you have to sing the song the government wants you to sing."
- Jackie Schweitz Minnesota Concerned Citizens for Life | |
"It keeps people distracted from the real issue, which is family planning; people being allowed to have access to contraception and decide when they want to have children. And to have healthy babies when they do, because they've spaced their children, they've had access to services and education that helped them understand that," according to Moore.
The Goodno amendments have the backing of Minnesota Citizens Concerned for Life, a group opposed to abortion. MCCL President Jackie Schweitz says the state has a right to police how taxpayer dollars are spent. She says it's inappropriate for abortion providers to use family planning or pregnancy prevention grants.
"That's inconsistent when they want the government's money. So if you're going to use taxpayer money, then I think you have to sing the song the government wants you to sing. And in this case, they don't want them singing about abortion," Schweitz says.
Assistant Health Commissioner Gayle Hallin says the amendments remove flexibility in how the state pays for family health services. She says Gov. Ventura hasn't taken an official position, but says the administration has concerns.
"The governor has consistently said that he'll veto any legislation that creates greater restrictions on a woman's right to choose, and he strongly believes that family planning is an important tool to help people make choices about reproductive health issues. The legislation in its current form is looking like a restriction," Hallin says.
Ventura has often warned lawmakers not mix abortion policy debates into funding bills. Legislators have done so in previous years, but always removed the provisions before sending them to the governor's desk.
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