Family planning contracts for abortion providers again rejected
Kevin Landrigan, The New Hampshire Union Leader, Manchester
5 min read
Nov. 29—CONCORD — For the fifth time in three years, the state Executive Council on Wednesday turned down family planning contracts for three providers that perform abortions in New Hampshire.
All four Republicans on the panel continued to oppose these contracts, citing language in a 2021 state budget trailer bill that outlawed spending state taxpayer money for these services at locations where abortions were performed.
The move turned down about $1.3 million for Planned Parenthood of North New England, the Lovering Health Care Center in Greenland and the Concord Feminist Health Care Center in Concord.
The 4-1 votes came over the opposition of Republican Gov. Chris Sununu, who has continued to bring these items before the panel despite long-standing opposition.
"This is about preventative health care services for a lot of vulnerable families," Sununu said.
After the vote, Sununu said he hasn't given up.
"I have tried to get them to a 'yes.' We haven't happened yet but we'll keep looking at it," Sununu said.
The council did vote 4-1 in favor of extending four existing contracts for family planning providers that do not perform abortions.
Councilor David Wheeler, R-Milford, voted against all seven contracts.
"The law is clear that we aren't to spend state money that subsidies services at facilities that perform abortions," Wheeler said.
Further, he said, "I am against all of the family planning contracts because many of these services actually promote promiscuity in my view."
Sununu said state audits have confirmed that the three rejected providers keep their family planning and abortion services financially and physically separate.
Councilor Cinde Warmington, D-Concord, was the only vote in favor of these contracts for the abortion providers.
"It is simply outrageous how, time and time again, these Republican Executive Councilors will put their own radical ideologies over the health and well-being of Granite Staters. Today, they voted to defund cancer screenings for low-income individuals," Warmington said.
"They voted to reject funding for birth control, for STD (sexually transmitted disease) testing and treatment, and for health education materials to vulnerable populations in need. Their actions today will negatively impact New Hampshire's reproductive health care system for years to come."
Warmington and Manchester Mayor Joyce Craig, who are Democratic candidates for governor in 2024, both said that if elected, they would pressure the council harder to approve these contracts.
"As governor, I will do everything in my power and work with state and federal partners to restore critical family planning services in New Hampshire," Craig said in her statement.
"With (Republican candidate for governor) Kelly Ayotte promising to continue defunding reproductive health care providers, it's more important than ever to elect a Democratic governor to protect Granite Staters' reproductive freedom," Craig said.
Ayotte Campaign Manager John Corbett said she will support women's health care services, but not for abortion providers. As a U.S. senator, Ayotte opposed taxpayer funding for Planned Parenthood.
"This is a baseless attack, and it is ridiculous to think that as governor Kelly Ayotte will be anything but a staunch supporter of women's access to healthcare. Kelly strongly supports providing more funding for women's preventative care and access to birth control and as governor, Kelly will include more funds for these important women's health services in her proposed budgets for the state," Corbett said in a statement.
Rejections mean less access
The existing providers serve 2,500 people.
Division of Public Health Director Patricia Tilley said that if approved, these three other providers would have served an additional 5,000 clients.
Councilor Janet Stevens, R-Rye, raised concerns that Planned Parenthood had not turned in its nonprofit financial records to the state Division of Charitable Trusts for 2020 and 2021.
"It is extremely disappointing to not be able to receive charitable trust documents for candidates that come before us," Stevens said.
Attorney General John Formella said he reached out to Planned Parenthood officials on Tuesday, and those documents subsequently were filed.
"I understand and appreciate your concern because it is a valid one," Formella said.
Jason Hennessey, president of New Hampshire Right to Life, praised the council's decision.
"The executive councilors who said no to funding abortion providers said yes to saving lives and money. Giving tax money to organizations that also lobby to legalize abortion all the way through birth is just too extreme," Hennessey said.
Kayla Montgomery, executive vice president with Planned Parenthood of Northern New England, said failure to secure a $700,000 grant is a hardship but will not change the group's mission.
"While Planned Parenthood will serve patients no matter what, today's vote continues to cause unnecessary uncertainty in an already chaotic reproductive health care landscape, and puts Granite Staters' future access to local, quality, affordable, compassionate health care in jeopardy," Montgomery said.
Sandi Denoncour, executive director of Lovering Health Center, a smaller nonprofit, said the inability to land this money will hit that agency hard.
"The Executive Council's repeated votes against comprehensive family planning funding for our state's health centers is taking a toll," Denoncour said.
"Because of these votes, the Lovering Health Center has had to make difficult staffing decisions and remains with limited capacity for critical community education and prevention work that, when funded, has reached thousands of at-risk people each year."
