News

May 19, 2010

For the second year in a row, the Huelskamp Amendment has passed both houses -- and after Governor Mark Parkinson's vetoed last year's attempt, this year's bill again awaits the Democrat's signature. Bill sponsor Senator Tim Huelskamp contends that the dollars need to stop flowing into Planned Parenthood coffers.

"Planned Parenthood in Kansas currently has over 107 criminal indictments against them that involve multiple felonies, and those are currently being discussed somewhere in the state Supreme Court," the sponsor reports. "But indeed, this is the type of organization that should not receive taxpayer funding, whether it's at the federal or state level."

This marks the second time a defunding bill has gone to the governor, but Huelskamp tells a little about the governor, who is an avid abortion supporter.

"While we were talking about defunding, and he vetoed that provision last year, he then turned around and increased funding by 21 percent in the last year," the Republican senator laments. "A 21-percent increase when we're talking about massive budget deficits in the state of Kansas created by overspending." After increasing funding for Planned Parenthood, Parkinson went on to completely defund pro-life pregnancy centers.



Huelskamp does not think it makes sense to increase funding with the state's budget woes, but he believes that defunding does make sense. Currently, there are appropriations for pregnancy centers, unless they are vetoed.

The state senator is currently running for Kansas' First Congressional District seat, and has been endorsed by former Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee, Family Research Council president Tony Perkins, and other conservative and pro-life leaders.