Washington Senate Budget Cuts Birth Control, Family Planning Funding
Proposed budget will hurt Washington women and cost state more in the long run This morning the Washington Senate released its proposed 2009-11 budget. Among other steep cuts, the proposed budget slashes $1 million in funding for birth control and other family planning services for low-income women and teens. “We are disappointed in the Senate budget,” said Karen Cooper, executive director of NARAL Pro-Choice Washington. “This budget represents a sharp decline in all the services provided by the state, including a 10% cut in family planning care.” “If these family planning funds are not restored, the consequences will be felt not only by the women of our state, but by taxpayers as well,” added Cooper. “Quite simply, birth control saves money.” Public funding for family planning care is a smart investment. According to the state’s Department of Health statistics, it costs approximately $550 a year to cover a full range of family planning services for each Washingtonian in need, compared to almost $8,000 in state funds for each Medicaid paid birth. When the state spends a relatively small amount for family planning services now, it ends up saving many times that amount down the road. “NARAL Pro-Choice Washington is mobilizing our statewide network of members and activists to contact their legislators and budget leaders to urge them to restore this common-sense, cost-effective funding for women and teens in need,” said Cooper. “We are working tirelessly to protect women’s ability to access their reproductive health care needs.” NARAL Pro-Choice Washington’s grassroots advocacy helped save the family planning nursing program from being eliminated from the supplemental budget earlier this year. NARAL sent action alerts to their statewide email list, as well as more than 20,000 postcards to members and activists urging them to contact legislative leaders and the Governor’s office. Ultimately, the funding for these nurses, who provide birth control to low-income women across the state, was reinstated. NARAL is now launching an equally intensive effort to restore the full $10 million for family planning funding in the 2009-11 operational budget. NARAL Pro-Choice Washington is the leading grassroots pro-choice advocacy organization in Washington State. NARAL Pro-Choice Washington works to protect every woman’s right to access the full range of reproductive health options, including preventing unintended pregnancy, bearing healthy children, and choosing legal abortion. NARAL Pro-Choice Washington is the state affiliate of NARAL Pro-Choice America. ###
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