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Minutes for HB2789 - Committee on Health and Human Services
Short Title
Establishing the pregnancy compassion program to provide resources and promote childbirth to women facing unplanned pregnancies, establishing the pregnancy compassion awareness program to promote public awareness of available resources; appropriating $4,000,000 per year from the state general fund toward such program and establishing a fee on the In God We Trust and the choose life license plates and using such fees to provide additional revenue for such program.
Minutes Content for Fri, Feb 16, 2024
Taylor Morton, Policy Analyst, Planned Parenthood Great Plains Vote, provided testimony in opposition to HB2789 (Attachment 13). HB2789 would appropriate $4 million per year from the state general fund toward this program, despite setting forth no minimum standards or oversight to ensure public funds are appropriately utilized. The bill does not require any tracking or reporting of how funds were spent. There is no collection of data. Other states have seen misuse of taxpayer funds for programs such as this. CPCs provide inaccurate, misleading and deceptive information to pregnant women. CPCs contribute to racism and exacerbate socioeconomic inequity by impeding access to essential health care. There is no requirement that recipient organizations demonstrate a tangible benefit for their use of taxpayer funds, nor is there any auditing protocol set force to ensure compliance.
Ms. Morton responded to questions from the committee,
Zachary Gingrich-Gaylord, Trust Women Foundation, provided testimony in opposition to HB2789 (Attachment 14). HB2789 will act as a massive subsidy to unregulated anti-abortion centers to the detriment of patients and communities. Many healthcare providers view abortion as essential health care. By excluding reproductive healthcare clinics, supporters of the legislation are providing preferential treatment to crisis pregnancy centers.
Mr. Gingrich-Gaylord responded to questions from the committee.
The following provided written only testimony in opposition to the bill:
Melissa Stiehler, Loud Light Civic Action (Attachment 15)
Laurel Burchfield, Advocacy Director, Mainstream (Attachment 16)
