In
2009 members of the Tennessee Legislature voted overwhelmingly to
remove longtime preferential treatment in state law for abortion
promoter Planned Parenthood. Additionally, legislators voted to give
first priority to local public health departments in the distribution
of federal family planning funds rather than private organizations such
as Planned Parenthood.
Sadly,
Planned Parenthood and their allies in large metropolitan health
departments have conspired to thwart the will of Tennessee's
Legislature and citizens. In order to continue funneling tax dollars
to Planned Parenthood affiliates in Knoxville, Memphis and Nashville,
health departments in
Memphis and
Nashville have
refused to request or accept the full disbursements available to their communities. As a result, pro-abortion officials within
Tennessee's state Health Department
have been only too happy to continue distributing your tax dollars to
Planned Parenthood in order to 'guarantee' the availability of family
planning services in 'underserved' communities.
Last
year more than 1 million tax dollars were awarded to Planned
Parenthood affiliates in Tennessee---despite the law passed in 2009---
and the
Tennessee Department of Health is requesting continued funding for Planned Parenthood's anti-life programs once again in this year's budget.
Pro-life state
Senator Stacey Campfield
(R-Knoxville) is prepared to offer an amendment to close these funding
loopholes during Wednesday's meeting of the Senate Welfare, Health and
Human Resources Committee. Senator Campfield's amendment will seek to
further clarify for the health departments that
tax dollars for the
purposes of family planning programs may only be distributed by the
Tennessee Department of Health to state, county or municipal health
agencies.
Your help is urgently needed!
Please immediately
contact the following members of the Senate General Welfare, Health
and Human Resources Committee. Urge them to support Tennessee Right to
Life and Senator Campfield's amendment to close loopholes which
continue to allow funding to Planned Parenthood in Tennessee. The
committee is scheduled to meet at 10 a.m. (CDT) in Room 12 of
Legislative Plaza.
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