Virginia Christian Leaders Urge State Officials to Cut Planned Parenthood Funds

From http://lifenews.com/state4832.html

Virginia Christian Leaders Urge State Officials to Cut Planned Parenthood Funds

by Steven Ertelt
LifeNews.com Editor
February 19, 2010

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Washington, DC (LifeNews.com) -- Dozens of Christian pastors and religious leaders signed a new petition to the state legislature and top state officials asking them to end state funding for the Planned Parenthood abortion business. The petition also went to the state's governor, lieutenant governor and attorney general.

Rev. Pat Robertson and Rev. Jonathan Falwell joined the other pastors and clergy who signed the petition sponsored by the Virginia Christian Alliance.

The petition said state taxpayer funds should no go to an abortion business and it accuses Planned Parenthood of "unethical, immoral and racist practices."

The pastors also cited a quotation from the 1939 book written by Margaret Sanger, the founder of Planned Parenthood, supporting eugenics.

Republicans Gov. Bob McDonnell, Lt. Gov. Bill Bolling and Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli, all pro-life, were asked to help stop the funding.

Rev. Joe Ellison, vice president of the Council on Biblical Principles, also joined the call.

"Today, this African American pastor is declaring war against Planned Parenthood," he said, according to an AP report. "We're asking pastors to shut them down in the community. We're asking pastors to pray them out, and we're asking Planned Parenthood to leave our children alone."

A big question for pro-life advocates is determining how much in state taxpayer funding Planned Parenthood receives.

Del. Robert Marshall, one of the top pro-life advocates in the state legislature, told AP he believes Planned Parenthood receives $500,000 per year, but there's little in terms of paperwork he can find to substantiate the figure.

Planned Parenthood lobbyist Jessica Honke told AP that the abortion business receives money from the state to reimburse it for providing family planning services to 1,000 women.

And Craig Markva of the Department of Medical Assistance Services told AP Virginia Medicaid payments to Planned Parenthood for the last fiscal year totaled $35,006. But the state Department of Health paid the abortion business $28,000 for HIV prevention services.

Meanwhile, the state has paid for 439 abortions from Virginia Medicaid and it is not clear if Planned Parenthood received any of that money.


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