Planned Parenthood of Kansas and Mid-Missouri Reacts to Governor Brownback’s State of the State Address
For Immediate Release: Jan. 7, 2016
Topeka – Kansas Governor Sam Brownback’s State of the State Address Tuesday night, which included a call to cut Medicaid funding to Planned Parenthood of Kansas and Mid-Missouri, was a smoke and mirrors attempt to distract from his failed fiscal policies.
“We refuse to serve as the Governor’s scapegoat while Kansas faces serious funding challenges in light of his weak and ineffectual fiscal policies. His plans to cut Medicaid to PPKM will result in a legal battle which Kansas simply cannot afford to fight,” Planned Parenthood of Kansas and Mid-Missouri President and CEO, Laura McQuade said.
Several states including Arkansas, Texas and Louisiana have tried and failed to cut Medicaid funding to Planned Parenthood health centers. Courts have repeatedly ruled the measure unconstitutional.
“Governor Brownback emphasized independence as a fundamental value for all Kansans. That should apply equally to the 400,000 Kansans with Medicaid coverage who have the opportunity to choose Planned Parenthood for their health care. Kansans and their health care providers are not Mr. Brownback’s punching bag and we will fight back,” McQuade said.
Low-income patients depend on Planned Parenthood’s Medicaid covered services like contraception, cancer screenings, and wellness care. Despite Governor Brownback’s dramatized political plots against PPKM, we have been here for our patients for 80 years and we will continue to be here for them no matter what.
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Planned Parenthood is a vital resource for our community and for women and families throughout Kansas and Missouri. We are a trusted advocate and source of health care and education for thousands of women, men, and children. For 80 years, women have relied on Planned Parenthood to keep themselves and their families safe and healthy.
Source
Planned Parenthood Great Plains
Contact
Bonyen Lee-Gilmore, 816-585-3732
Elise Higgins, 913-345-4628
Published
January 13, 2016