2009-11 Operational Budget Bill Does Not Do Enough to Protect Women’s Health
Budget released this morning preserves funding for over 70 family planning nurses, but drastically reduces state spending on birth control and other family planning services in the second year. The Washington legislature’s bill for the 2009-11 operational budget has good news and bad news for women’s health. The bill maintains funding for over 70 family planning nurses, who provide birth control to low-income women in community service office across the state. At the same time, however, the budget makes steep cuts in state spending on family planning grants in the second year of the biennium. “While we applaud the protection of the family planning nurses, we are still deeply disappointed in the cuts to family planning,” said Karen Cooper, executive director of NARAL Pro-Choice Washington. “With no guarantee that there will be sufficient money in 2011 for critical – and cost saving – birth control for low-income women, this budget bill represents an unacceptable risk for women’s health and the fiscal health of the state.” The legislature hopes that the federal government will provide the missing funds for family planning in 2011. The bill instructs the legislature to include funding in a supplemental budget should federal money fail to arrive. “We have no way of knowing for sure if this federal money for family planning services will arrive in time,” said Cooper. “Nor do we have any indication that the state will have the resources next year to fill the gap if we don’t secure funding in the budget now.” The elimination of state funding for family planning will result in an increased burden on state taxpayers. 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. “NARAL Pro-Choice Washington is mobilizing our statewide network of members and activists to tell the legislature to stand up for women’s health and amend the budget bill to include funding for family planning for the full biennium,” added Cooper. “With more and more women in need of assistance accessing reproductive health care, now is not the time to eliminate state spending on family planning.” 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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