Arkansas lawmakers have advanced legislation aimed at cutting off public funding to Planned Parenthood. The organization says the move could also cut off money to doctors, rape crisis centers and domestic violence shelters.
The Senate State Agencies and Governmental Affairs Committee on Wednesday endorsed the proposal by Republican Senator Gary Stubblefield of Branch that would ban the state from awarding grants to entities that perform abortions or abortion referrals.
Stubblefield says the measure is primarily aimed at cutting off sex education grants Planned Parenthood currently receives. But the group says that by barring grants to those who perform abortion referrals, it could hurt other organizations. The move comes during a session where Arkansas has enacted some of the nation's most restrictive abortion laws.