New Jersey Governor Chris Christie vetoed restoration of $7.5 million of family planning funds that he'd previously cut from the state budget.
UPDATE 11/24/10: State Assembly still short votes to override veto
UPDATE 9/21/10: Governor's veto sustained by Senate
UPDATE 7/28/10: Mainstream media reacts to funding cuts
-- From "Gov. Christie vetoes bill restoring $7.5M grant for family planning" by Susan K. Livio, Statehouse Bureau, The Star-Ledger 7/24/10
Democrats who control the Legislature said they are weighing whether to seek an override on the bills, which would require 54 votes in the 80-member Assembly and 27 in the 40-member Senate.
Although Christie said he opposed family planning bill purely on budgetary grounds, his decision is likely to stoke an ongoing ideological debate among conservative Republicans on whether the state ought to financially support clinics run by Planned Parenthood, which provides abortions and birth control — an issue brought up several times by Assemblyman Jay Webber (R-Morris), the Republican state Committee chairman.
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From "New Jersey Governor Christie Vetoes Bill Sending Millions to Planned Parenthood" by Steven Ertelt, LifeNews.com Editor 7/23/10
The funds go to 58 family planning clinics but Planned Parenthood, the nation's largest abortion chain, runs 29 of the facilities.
Christie thinks there's little reason to send the abortion centers $7.5 million when the state currently faces an $11 billion deficit.
"Reproductive health care services will continue to be available in each of New Jersey's 21 counties, including Planned Parenthood clinics, local health department clinics, standing free clinics, and hospital-based clinics," he said.
Marie Tasy, executive director of New Jersey Right to Life, told LifeNews.com this afternoon, "For far too long and without voter approval, NJ taxpayers were forced to fund Planned Parenthood in the state budget under 'family planning services.'"
"Despite assertions to the contrary from some lawmakers that none of the money will be used for abortion, the funds will be used for abortion because these centers have the mutual financial advantage of referring pregnant clients to one of the three “Planned Parenthood/family planning” centers that perform abortion," she said.
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