Texas Slashes Family Planning Services While Increasing Funds for Anti-Choice "Crisis Pregnancy Centers"

Ms. Magazine: TX Cuts Family Planning, Funding Allocated for CPCs:  

Starting on September 1, approximately 180,000 women in Texas will be without access to contraception and preventive services as a result of the state Legislature's cuts to family planning services by two-thirds. However, state lawmakers voted to increase funding by $300,000 for Alternatives to Abortion Services, a state program comprised of 26 crisis pregnancy centers, adoption agencies, and maternity homes. The 26 centers receiving money from Texas Pregnancy Care Network, a charity contracted with the Texas Health and Human Services Commission. . . .  

New York Times: Center Typifies New Face of Pregnancy Services, by Thanh Tan:  

Nearly 180,000 Texas women and men are likely to lose access to birth control and preventative examinations next month because the Legislature recently slashed financing for family planning services by two-thirds.

But socially conservative lawmakers succeeded in their efforts to increase money for a small state program, Alternatives to Abortion Services, more ideologically aligned with their politics. Lawmakers added $300,000 to the program’s budget for each of the coming two fiscal years, bringing it to $8.3 million for 2012 and for 2013. . . .