Funding Vote Tomorrow: Any "Choice" Here?

Live and let live? Promote choice? Sure. Let's start by saying that while abortion is legal, taxpayers shouldn't foot the bill for it. We'll see tomorrow if at least 13 senators can get behind that.

Whatever tomorrow's outcome, HB 228 has been a triumph.


This bill would let pro-life New Hampshire residents keep their money away from abortion providers. Several sponsors, led by Rep. Warren Groen (R-Rochester), have kept the bill going since February 2011. Dogged persistence and some nimble legislative footwork have brought the bill through multiple hearings, delays, amendments, an attempt to kill it on the House floor, and finally House passage last January. Now it's the Senate's turn. The Health and Human Services committee voted to recommend the bill by the slimmest of margins (3-2).

The meat of the bill, as of today: "The department shall not enter into a contract with, or make a grant to, any entity that performs non-federally qualified abortions or maintains or operates a facility where non-federally qualified abortions are performed; provided that this paragraph shall not apply to any hospital." So hospitals are exempt. The feds' "qualified abortions" are exempt. No provider is singled out, although PPNNE is bitterly characterizing the bill as an attack on its business. The bill's backers have time and time again been responsive to constructive suggestions.

State reps have started looking at the business models of abortion providers. They are questioning the statistics being tossed around by those providers ("...only 3 to 5 percent of our business is abortion," says PPNNE's lobbyist), which has helped to boost support for collecting statistics via HB 1680. In the House, reps were willing to push back against threats of litigation.

And while Planned Parenthood is not mentioned in the current version of the bill, PPNNE is sure acting like the bill is all about them. They warn darkly of a loss of federal funds and denial of "critical health services" if this bill passes.

Consider the source: PPNNE's 2010 annual report indicates $3.1 million spent on administration; $822,000 on public policy, including the aforementioned lobbyist; $445,000 on marketing. And they warn of having to turn women away if HB 228 passes?

The senators are under pressure. PPNNE and NARAL Pro-Choice NH have ramped up their networks, and I expect to see lots of "Trust Women" and "I Stand With PP" stickers in the hall outside the Senate chamber tomorrow morning. $822,000 buys a lot of stickers. Do not expect a straight GOP/Dem split on this one (or any of the other pro-life bills on the calendar, with the possible exception of the stats bill).

When the dust has settled, regardless of the outcome, no one running for re-election next fall will be able to dodge fallout from this vote. That's as it should be.