Source: News & Observer
In a letter released last Friday, Sen. Thom Tillis and Rep. Ted Budd are asking North Carolina Attorney General Josh Stein to protect their controversial crisis pregnancy centers as the GOP ramps up anti-abortion measures.
According to Planned Parenthood, crisis pregnancy centers are facilities that offer ultrasounds and pregnancy tests but are known for opposing abortions and using deceptive practices to dissuade pregnant individuals from seeking abortion access.
“Crisis pregnancy centers exist for one purpose: to prevent a person from obtaining a safe, legal abortion,” stated Susanna Birdsong, Planned Parenthood’s North Carolina Director of Public Affairs in a press release. “They intentionally spread misinformation and outright lies to confuse and manipulate people facing an unwanted pregnancy. They are generally unregulated and unlicensed and target people with low incomes.”
Although highly controversial and reportedly give inaccurate medical information surrounding abortions, these facilities are supported by state Republicans.
This year’s Republican-led House budget features approximately $9 million in funding to crisis pregnancy centers, while the Senate budget proposed about $3 million. According to N.C. Health News, North Carolina is one of 14 states that sends taxpayer dollars to crisis pregnancy centers.
Despite most North Carolinians supporting abortion access, state Republicans have consistently pushed for anti-abortion measures, defunding reproductive health care facilities, and denying North Carolinians access to critical reproductive health care by refusing to expand Medicaid, while funneling millions of dollars to centers that don’t provide most kinds of health care.
