Posted on 02/17/2010 9:10:18 AM PST by NYer
Richmond, VA (LifeNews.com) -- In what pro-life advocates are hailing as a brilliant legislative move, Virginia lawmakers stripped Planned Parenthood funding from its own bill to sponsor pro-abortion license plates. The plate bill now sends the proceeds from sales of the plate to a state fund that actually helps pregnant women.
Money generated from the sales of the “Trust Women, Respect Choice" license plates was intended to go to the Planned Parenthood abortion business.
When Democrat Delegate Robert Brink brought up the bill, on the House floor in preparation for today's final vote, the legislation said the Virginia League of Planned Parenthood would receive $15 of the $25 plate fee.
In an interesting turn of events, Delegate Todd Gilbert, a Republican, offered an amendment to the bill to change it so all funding would go to the Virginia Pregnant Women Support Fund -- a move that the pro-life Family Forum group describes as a devastating blow to Planned Parenthood.
The Virginia Pregnant Women Support Fund was created in 2007 to “support women and families who are facing unplanned pregnancy” and is managed by the Virginia Board of Health. The goals are far different from Planned Parenthood's abortion agenda as it provides funding for ultrasound machines, parenting programs, and other support.
Brink urged defeat of the amendment and Delegate David Englin argued that changing the recipient of the funding was unconstitutional, claiming court precedent.
But Victoria Cobb, the president of the Family Foundation, tells LifeNews.com that is a misreading of court decisions saying Planned Parenthood should have a chance at its response to the popular Choose Life license plates.
"Court rulings have said if one viewpoint is allowed on a license plate another viewpoint must also be allowed, but it does not address the funding aspects of the license plates," Cobb explains.
Gilbert responded by saying that the Virginia Pregnant Women Support Fund was a better fit for the language of the plate.
He also pointed out how Planned Parenthood violates its own message of trusting women.
"Delegate Gilbert, citing Planned Parenthood’s opposition to pro-woman legislation including informed consent requirements that do exactly that – trust women – stated that plate funds if directed to Planned Parenthood would not be going to an organization in conformity with the plate’s message," Cobb recounted.
Delegate Gilbert’s floor amendment was accepted on a 56-43 vote and the state House is expected to vote on the bill today.
Related web sites:
Virginia Family Foundation - http://www.familyfoundationblog.com
Brilliant move .... ping!
If you want a wild ride, call “planned parenthood” and ask them for information on planning for a baby. They don’t have it. All they have is info on killing babies.
If the same truth in advertising standards as applied to TV Commercials was applied, the plate would read: “Trust Women to kill their children.”
But at least the legislature here did what it could to redirect the funds to women who CAN be trusted with the precious lives within them.
That’s one step in the right direction.
‘If you want a wild ride, call “planned parenthood” and ask them for information on planning for a baby. They don’t have it.’
That’s right. The term “planned parenthood” is just another example of Leftist double-speak.
Sweet! My state does me proud.
Fantastic!
Here is an email sent out on this issue by VA Planned Parenthood....
HB1108 Spanks
Dear xxxxx
Yesterday, anti-choice legislators revealed their true colors when they voted to amend HB1108, the ‘Trust Women, Respect Choice’ license plate. In an unprecedented and discriminatory move, Delegate Todd Gilbert (R-15) amended the bill so that revenue generated from the sale of these plates would go to the Virginia Pregnant Women Support Fund, instead of Planned Parenthood. Unlike Planned Parenthood, the Virginia Pregnant Women Support Fund does not provide preventive services like sexually transmitted infection testing and treatment, the HPV vaccine, and cancer screenings. This action amounts to institutional bias and we need you to let legislators know you will not stand for it!
TAKE ACTION: Click here to send a message to your legislator about this shameful amendment.
Send a letter to the following decision maker(s):
HB1108 Spanks
Below is the sample letter:
Subject: I’m disappointed in your vote on HB 1108: Trust Women, Respect Choice License Plate
Dear [decision maker name automatically inserted here],
I am writing to express my anger and disappointment in your vote for the amendment to HB1108, the ‘Trust Women, Respect Choice’ license plate. As you know, Planned Parenthood has adhered to the rules set forth by the General Assembly and the Department of Motor Vehicles for a special interest license plate. For you to amend the bill to divert the funds from Planned Parenthood amounts to discrimination and an institutional bias.
When I purchased my license plate, I did so because the money would go to an organization that does more than any other to provide comprehensive reproductive health care. Unlike the Virginia Pregnant Women Support Fund, Planned Parenthood provides a full range of services. These include HPV vaccines, sexually transmitted infection and testing, and cancer screenings. This organization could not be more important for the 30,000 underinsured and uninsured patients they serve every year.
It is my hope that you will reconsider the extreme position you took on HB1108. This bill is supported by hundreds of Virginians.
Sincerely,
UPDATE This bill passed the house today 77-22
http://leg1.state.va.us/cgi-bin/legp504.exe?101+vot+HV0776+HB1108
another email from VA Planned Parenthood
I am writing to give you an update about Pro-Choice Lobby Day, which was cancelled last week due to inclement weather around the state. Because of the late date and financial reasons, the Virginia Pro-Choice Coalition has decided to not reschedule the event. We know how much this annual event means to many of you and we are just as disappointed as you are.
However, over the next few weeks, we will be offering you many opportunities to stay involved, especially in regards to our pro-choice license plate. On Monday, February 22, we are hoping to organize statewide demonstrations against the egregious action the House of Delegates took on Monday. If you would like to organize a demonstration in your area, please email Courtney.Jones@ppfa.org.
If you paid for a lobby day bus ticket, that money will be refunded to you, either by paypal or check. Again, we apologize for this turn of events. But we appreciate your continued support and commitment to reproductive health care in Virginia.
If you have any questions about this, please contact Courtney Jones, Manager of Grassroots Organizing, at courtney.jones@ppfa.org.
Anti choice? Choice implies more than one. Planned Parenthood respects only one choice - death. Frankly, I believe they have understood that sentiment for choosing life, is building in this great nation. There will always be those who choose to terminate their pregnancies but these should be few and far between. Planned Parenthood has grown into a huge industry. It is time to shut it down!
Won’t the moonbat majority Democrat Senate shoot this down ?
There are a few pro-life Democrats. We’ll see what they do.
How many pro-abort RINOs offset those ? I’m amazed there are any pro-life Dems left in the Senate (nevermind the House) given their rigid ideological enforcement.
True, this is a tricky one. It will be interesting to see what they do.
It’s too bad the Senate seats weren’t up with the Gubernatorial election. It’s doubtful we’d have lost Cuccinelli’s seat and we’d have picked up some of those narrowly-lost ones from the last time. Now we have to pick up 3 of them in ‘11 to get a majority (and that depends if they’ll get to redraw the lines to prop up their Dem majority beforehand). Reminds me of the frustration we had back in the mid ‘90s trying to grab that body first, and we came heartbreakingly close. Remember when Katie Couric’s sister Emily beat Edgar Robb, a GOP incumbent at the time in Charlottesville, that was a real teeth-grinder, since that was a key seat. That’s the one Creigh Deeds occupies now. We really ought to target him next time. He pretends to be a moderate when he is really a moonbat.
I agree. Had the Senate been up this past November, the GOP would have regained control. As to the Cuccinelli special election, we got outflanked by the mail-in absentee ballots. The Fairfax County chairman spent a lot of time last meeting talking about it and is formulating a plan so as to keep that from happening again. The Democrats submitted absentee ballots already completed “at the factory” so who really knows who signed them and turned them in. Also, surprisingly, many GOP voters didn’t seem to grasp the importance of the race and rebelled against robocalls.
I remember a little bit about the Robb-Couric contest you mention. That’s about the time I became politically active.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.