The below announcement is from Robert Dunn, Director of Public Policy at the Diocese of Manchester.
------------------
Friends -
On Wednesday (Dec. 22), the New Hampshire Executive Council will be voting on whether to approve a request by DHHS regarding family planning agreements involving several contractors, including three abortion providers (Planned Parenthood of Northern New England, Equality Health Center, and Lovering Health Center). As you will recall, the Council voted to reject similar contracts in September.
The decades-old national consensus (embodied most notably in the federal Hyde Amendment) that people should not be forced to support abortion through their tax dollars represents a recognition that, given the gravity of the moral issues at stake, public funds should not be used for abortions. Keeping state funds separate from abortion activities is an important public policy-– a policy that is especially appropriate in the context presented by these particular contracts, because abortion unquestionably should not be thought of simply as an element of family planning. We also believe that these three contracts would violate NH Laws 2021 Chapter 91:36, which prohibits state funds from being awarded to a "reproductive health facility" as that term is defined in the buffer zone law.
Please contact the members of the Executive Council (email addresses below) and respectfully ask them to vote NO on the contracts with PPNNE, Equality Health, and Lovering Health (on the Council's agenda as Item #41C ).
Joseph.D.Kenney@nh.gov
Cinde.Warmington@nh.gov
Janet.L.Stevens@nh.gov
Ted.Gatsas@nh.gov
David.K.Wheeler@nh.gov
