There was a very interesting news story on Friday. It was an announcement from the nation’s largest abortion provider, Planned Parenthood. In what they are calling “a first of its kind consolidation” the abortion giant is shifting resources from coastal states and Hawaii to their Indiana/Kentucky affiliate due to the court and legislative battles occurring here.
In other words, Planned Parenthood affiliates in Idaho, Alaska and Washington are sending millions of dollars to fight the battle over abortion here in our state.
Here are some quotes from the Associated Press article about this merger with Indiana and Kentucky:
Chris Charbonneau, the CEO of Planned Parenthood of the Great Northwest and the Hawaiian Islands, said her group has an annual budget of about $70 million. She said its donors wanted to help Planned Parenthood of Indiana and Kentucky.
In recent years, that Indianapolis-based group has faced the legal costs of challenging far-reaching limits on abortion rights sought by Republican lawmakers in both states — including a proposed bill before Kentucky’s Legislaturethat would ban abortion after the detection of a fetal heartbeat, as early as six weeks into a pregnancy.
Planned Parenthood said the arrangement is the first such alliance for the health care organization. The boards of the two groups this week unanimously approved a “strategic alliance” that takes effect Saturday. Charbonneau will be the CEO of both groups.
Charbonneau said the new entity will have a combined annual budget of between $80 million and $90 million.
Mike Fichter, the president and CEO of Indiana Right to Life, said in a statement that the alliance between the two Planned Parenthood groups “places a target on unborn children in Indiana and Kentucky by bringing in millions of dollars from far away states to influence policy and expand abortions.”
″… We believe this merger underscores Planned Parenthood’s intent to expand abortions which are central to its revenue stream,” he said.
Legislation passed by Indiana lawmakers has also led to a series of court fights, including a law Vice President Mike Pence signed when he was governor that would ban abortions for fetal genetic abnormalities, such as Down syndrome.
This means that the battle to protect the unborn may get more difficult and intense in the halls of government and courtrooms in Indiana. This has always been a David v. Goliathissue when one looks at the resources of the abortion industry compared to the pro-life and pro-family movements.
Thankfully, this disparity has not thwarted the momentum of the life movement. Next week, the Committee on Public Health will consider Indiana House Bill 1211, authored by Representatives Peggy Mayfield and Christy Stutzman. This legislation would ban the risky and controversial dismemberment abortion procedure. This brutal act tears apart and removes the remains of a child. It carries with it a good deal of risk for the woman in terms of physical harm from the instruments, and infection if all the pieces of the unborn child are not removed.
Eleven states have passed laws like HB 1211. Hopefully Indiana will be the twelfth to do so.
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