Thanks and Spanks - August Edition

Thanks to Governor Strickland and
the Ohio Department of Health

A special thanks goes out to Gov. Strickland and the Ohio Department of Health for applying for federal funds through the Personal Responsibility Education Program (PREP). PREP is the first ever state-grant program from the federal government that funds comprehensive sex education that will teach teens how to prevent pregnancy and sexually transmitted infections (STIs), including HIV/AIDS, and address the skills necessary to help young people lead successful lives.

It is estimated that Ohio is eligible to receive $1,916,033 for FY 2010 and FY2011 with no state match required.

The overwhelming majority of Americans, including parents, support programs that are medically accurate, age-appropriate, evidence-based, and educate youth both about waiting to have sex and using contraception effectively.

The Ohio proposal is expected to focus on delivering evidence-based reproductive health education programs to youth in the juvenile justice system and foster care settings.

Spanks to the Susan B. Anthony List

This month, the Susan B. Anthony List, a group dedicated to electing pro-life women, brought its tour bus of lies to Ohio. The “Votes Have Consequences Express” made stops in Cincinnati and Toledo on August 10th and 15th to speak out against Representatives Steve Driehaus and Marcy Kaptur for their YES votes on health care reform.

We had to ask ourselves, why is the Susan B. Anthony List against health care reform? After all, it is the same legislation that prevents insurance companies from charging women higher premiums than men for the same coverage. Well, the Susan B. Anthony List believes that health care reform expands federal funding for abortion services. The truth is just the opposite!

Whereas Planned Parenthood supported health care reform as a whole, there were elements we opposed. The truth is that:

• Health care reform maintains the current Hyde Amendment restrictions and extends restrictions to newly-created health insurance exchanges
• Health care reform establishes new protections to prohibit discrimination against HC facilities and providers that are unwilling to provide abortion services or refer patients to other facilities or providers that do offer services
• Health care reform specifically prohibits the use of tax credits and cost-sharing reduction payments to pay for abortion services (except in the case of rape, incest, or danger to the life of the woman)
• Health care reform implements strict payment and accounting requirements to ensure that Federal funds are not being used for abortion services

Shame on you Susan B. Anthony List. You lie!

We are also pretty certain that the real Susan B. Anthony wouldn’t be so pleased with her name being hijacked to promote a cause that restricts the freedom of women.