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NH May Reconsider Defunding Planned Parenthood

New Hampshire’s Executive Council, comprised of five Republicans, indicated that it will meet again to reconsider its previous decision to defund Planned Parenthood. On June 22, New Hampshire’s Executive Council voted 3-2 to block funding for Planned Parenthood clinics, cancelling the state’s contract the organization and denying Planned Parenthood $1.8 million in state funding. Additionally, Planned Parenthood can no longer distribute low-cost birth control or antibiotics to any of its uninsured patients because the clinics also provide privately funded abortions.

Without insurance, many women will not be able to afford the full cost of birth control or other prescriptions. This affects about 120 low-income women every day and 70 percent of Planned Parenthood’s patients. According to Jennifer Frizzell, a spokesperson for Planned Parenthood of Northern New England, Since the decision, Planned Parenthood clinics have had to turn away 20 to 30 patients per day who wanted to refill their birth control prescriptions.

This vote makes New Hampshire the eighth state to attempt to defund Planned Parenthood.

Sources:

Think Progress 7/13/2011; Mother Jones 7/12/2011; TPM 7/12/2011

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