It’s Time to De-Fund Planned Parenthood

Abortion, , ,

A federal court recently ruled Arkansas could move forward with plans to cut Medicaid funds from abortion provider Planned Parenthood. The state officially severed ties with the abortion giant late last year.

Similar situations are playing out in other states as more and more choose to spend their public dollars elsewhere. So why is the federal government continuing to subsidize Planned Parenthood with our tax dollars?

Eric Metaxas at the Colson Center for Christian Worldview writes,

We have a prolife president. We have a prolife Congress. But as Students for Life of America recently pointed out, despite their pledge to defund Planned Parenthood, “you and I are still being forced to funnel our money to the nation’s largest abortion vendor.”

And despite Planned Parenthood’s oft-repeated claim that it offers “comprehensive health services,” its own just-released annual report reveals what a big, fat lie this is. Their own statistics reveal a steep decline in positive services—such as testing for STDs. In fact, as National Review Online notes, Planned Parenthood’s annual report reveals that the abortion giant “exists to provide abortions and not much else.” As for prenatal services—they’ve “dropped steadily every year since 2009, from over 40,000 that year to just under 8,000 last year.”

Most Arkansans believe abortion ought to be completely illegal or legal only under certain circumstances, and voters have made it clear they don’t want their tax dollars subsidizing abortion.

Metaxas suggests voters encourage their elected officials in Congress to follow through on campaign promises to de-fund abortion providers like Planned Parenthood. You can read his entire commentary here.

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Arkansas Ranked Second Most Pro-Life State in America

Abortion, , ,

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Wednesday, January 17, 2018

Little Rock, Ark. – On Tuesday Americans United for Life released its 2018 “Life List” ranking each state based on its laws and policies regarding human life. According to the list, Arkansas is the second most pro-life state in America, just behind Arizona.

Family Council President Jerry Cox released a statement, saying, “This is something Arkansans should be proud of. In the past Arkansas has been ranked as high as number three or number four in the nation when it comes to protecting innocent, human life. This is the best ranking we have ever received.”

The Life List ranks states based on their policies regarding abortion, assisted suicide, euthanasia, and other issues related to human life. Cox said he believes pro-life laws passed by the Arkansas Legislature in recent years are the reason the state has moved up in the rankings. “The credit goes to Governor Asa Hutchinson and the Arkansas Legislature for taking a courageous stand that protects human life in Arkansas from conception until natural death. Their hard work is paying off. We as citizens of Arkansas should be very proud of them. Last year Arkansas passed a long list of laws prohibiting or regulating certain abortion procedures and protecting women’s health. Recently the State officially quit giving Medicaid funding to abortion providers like Planned Parenthood. Arkansas also has some excellent policies in place when it comes to suicide and euthanasia. Laws and policies like these have turned Arkansas into the second most pro-life state in the country.”

Cox said he is looking forward to the day when Arkansas is the most pro-life state in America. “Abortion in Arkansas has plummeted to record lows in recent years—especially among teenagers. Public opinion polling shows most Arkansans believe abortion ought to be either completely illegal or legal only under certain circumstances. Right now the only state with better pro-life laws is Arizona. Given the circumstances, I believe Arkansas could easily become the number-one state in America when it comes to protecting, respecting, and valuing human life.”

Family Council is a conservative education and research organization based in Little Rock.

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Arkansas’ Longest Married Couple Reception

Current Events

LITTLE ROCK, AR – For the first time ever, Arkansas Family Council is launching a search for Arkansas’ Longest Married Couple. We want couples to share their stories of a lifetime commitment to marriage and family. Family Council will be honoring the longest married couple and their family at a dessert reception at the Governor’s Mansion with Governor Asa Hutchinson and First Lady Susan Hutchinson on Tuesday, February 20, 2018.

“Sharing these couples’ lifetime stories of commitment and faithfulness to each other encourages the next generation that ‘married happily ever after’ still exists. We are blessed and honored to be able to share these stories of forever love,” Jerry Cox, president of Family Council, said. “In today’s society we are surrounded by naysayers of marriage but the married couples we find will prove them all wrong and show that marriage can last a lifetime.

“Marriage is a sacred covenant between a man and a woman,” Cox said. “It is not every day that you meet a couple married over 70 years, but when you do, there is truly something special about that relationship.”

Entries for couples married over 70 years can still be submitted by Friday, February 2, 2018, by sending contact information and marriage date to ken@familycouncil.org. For more information, please call the Family Council office at 501-375-7000.

Family Council is a conservative education and research organization based in Little Rock with a mission of promoting, protecting, and strengthening traditional family values.

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Photo Credit: By Jeff Belmonte from Cuiabá, Brazil (Flickr) [CC BY 2.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0)], via Wikimedia Commons.

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