The Need for Family Planning Funding

Over 36,000 women in Minnesota receive pre-pregnancy family planning services (FY2001). This care included contraceptive method services, sexually transmitted infection (STI) testing, cancer screening, and counseling.

The Alan Guttmacher Institute estimates that subsidized family planning services in Minnesota prevents 23,600 unwanted pregnancies each year.

Every $1 spent on family planning services saves an estimated $3 in Medicaid costs for pregnancy care and health care for newborns (Forrest & Samara, 1996).

Why We Oppose the “Super Gag Rule”

1. The “Super Gag Rule” prevents any organization that believes in responsible reproductive health care – that includes counseling about all options – from participating in a broad variety of state grant programs.

Since the proposed legislation applies to any “state grant program whose funds are or may be used to fund family planning services,” this incredibly broad definition could potentially prohibit abortion providers or advocates from receiving a wide array of state funds.

This law could prevent state grants from going to a wide variety of organizations such as the Battered Women’s Legal Advocacy Project, Family and Children’s Service, Summit University Teen Center, Agape House for Mothers, Olmstead Community Health Board, Park Avenue Family Practice, and West Side Community Health Service.

2. The overly broad gag rule is unacceptable because it severely restricts abortion counseling and forbids referrals.

Women need access to complete, nonbiased information and counseling about all the available options in order to make responsible decisions about their health.

3. State legislation that imposes severe restrictions on receipt of family planning funds has resulted in the loss of family planning funding for clinics – thereby jeopardizing the availability of essential services.

In 2001, Missouri enacted legislation that on its face prohibits clinics from receiving family planning funds if they provide abortion information on request. After Missouri enacted this highly restrictive legislation, 19 agencies lost – in just a three-month period – a total of over $535,000 in state family planning funds that had been designated to support services for 3,567 clients. During the same three-month period, six county health departments lost access to $34,350 in state family planning funding earmarked to serve 229 clients. Due to the loss of state funds, clinics were forced to lay off staff and reduce clinic hours, having a harmful impact on clients with few other resources.

4. Family planning is a vital service for women.

While this bill purports to allow “nondirective counseling,” the bill forbids any entity that receives a family planning grant from directly referring “patients who seek abortion services to any organization that provides abortion services.” This means that if a woman asks for a referral for an abortion, the entity is required to refuse to give it to her.

5. The legislation restricts free speech by targeting organizations that participate in governmental decision-making through lobbying.

Organizations that are politically involved by telling their side to lawmakers or taking a position on candidates are barred from receiving family planning funds. Also, by defining abortion advocacy to include challenging abortion-related laws through litigation, the bill prohibits an organization from receiving family planning funds if it has the gall to seek equal protection under the law.

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