Kansas abolishes abortion "alternatives" to reduce costs

Not all budget cuts lead to tragic losses of helpful governmental programs. To try and meet the required cuts in spending, the Kansas Department of Health and Environment (KDHE) eliminated surplus money-sucking programs – such as abortion "alternatives". Ie.: it kicked several pro-life options out the window.

To meet budget reduction mandates, KDHE eliminated funding for the Sen. Stan Clark Pregnancy Maintenance Initiative.

[...]Lawmakers approved $295,000 for the program in 2009 and $345,000 for 2010, state records show.

The Stan Clark program was one of three projects defunded as KDHE trimmed its spending, said agency spokesman Mike Heideman.

KDHE also eliminated a teen pregnancy prevention program and a program for cleanup of clandestine drug labs, he said.

There's also a sign that Governor Mark Parkinson is a pro-choicer, as seen from his choice of which avenues to fund (and anti-abortionists' anger towards him for said choice):

Mark Gietzen, president of the Kansas Coalition for Life, said the cut was particularly galling because in May, Parkinson used his veto power to overrule the Legislature and provide about $300,000 in federal grants to Planned Parenthood.

"Had he (Parkinson) defunded Planned Parenthood too, I'd let it go, I'd be mute," Gietzen said.

Right – I'm sure one crank's intentions to speak up against the Governor's decision is gonna impact much. You got the power, man. (Don't we all?)

So in a time of important decisions, the Kansas governor chose to kick out programs that caused more problems than they solved (as pro-life options tend to do) in favor of programs that actually helped young women end unwanted pregnancies and months of torment (not to mention, aided the funding of Planned Parenthood) ... Yep, he's got my vote*.

Were I a Kansan.