As we’ve come to expect with the Party of No, forming policy that benefits their constituents, is financially sound, and free of moral judgement is beyond their apparent reasoning level. Enter today’s prime example, Sen. Tim Huelskamp!
In the 2009 leg session, Huelskamp introduced an amendment to the budget that would have withheld all federal funds from Planned Parenthood of Kansas + Mid-MO (PPKM). In a time of state budget crisis, its important to remember that these funds do not come from the state’s general fund – they’re federal funds that have no budgetary impact on the state whatsoever. The budget passed with the amendment, which was then line-item’d by Gov. Parkinson.
In a move of sheer Party of No… Huelskamp chooses to introduce the exact same amendment, as a bill! I’ll expect Gov. Parkinson to veto this waste of time, like he did last year. I’m sad to see that instead of innovative solutions to the education budget, our state legislature’s time will be spent debating a bill that has already been debated and already been vetoed.
These funds are entirely for prevention – they fund Well Woman exams and contraception for women below the poverty level. These funds are used by other agencies in the state, and this bill is targeting PPKM directly. This bill is not about preventing abortion – it’s about taking away women’s basic healthcare (and reduced access to contraception = more unintended pregnancies = more abortion). Hey Huelskamp, just because your buddy Phill Kline couldn’t find any wrongdoing on PPKM’s part does not mean they’re hiding anything. It means – get this – that they’re not doing anything wrong. Their operations are totally legal. PPKM is doing more for the women and for reducing abortion in this state than anti-choice groups have ever done. So let the women in Kansas access their oftentimes one option for reproductive health care. Vaginas appreciate healthcare, not recycled Party of No tactics.
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