Arkansas Senate Votes To Axe Planned Parenthood, Sex Ed Funding

[marmar]

The Arkansas Senate on Tuesday passed a bill that defunds Planned Parenthood and effectively kills a comprehensive sex education program in the state's public high schools.

Arkansas Senate Bill 818, introduced by state Rep. Gary Stubblefield (R-Branch), would block all state funds from going to any entity that provides abortions or refers patients to other abortion providers. The bill would also prohibit any organization that contracts with an abortion provider or referrer, including power companies, water companies, health insurers or medical suppliers, from receiving any state money. Supporters of the bill argue that it prevents taxpayer money from indirectly paying for abortion and abortion referrals.

Planned Parenthood does not receive any family planning money from the state, but the bill will end a state-funded HIV and STI prevention program that Planned Parenthood administers in Arkansas public high schools. Darrell Seward, the assistant football coach and health education teacher at Little Rock Central High School, said the program is invaluable to his students.

"I would challenge any legislator or politician in the state of Arkansas or higher to set foot in my classroom and listen to the curriculum and walk out and say it's a bad program," he told The Huffington Post in a phone interview. "This program has been one of the most well-received programs that our students have ever been engaged in. I am a Republican, but this is one issue I feel very strongly about, because I see the benefit for our kids." ..................(more)

The complete piece is at: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/04/09/arkansas-planned-parenthood-sex-ed_n_3047024.html

[CurtEastPoint]

1. The enlightened Baptist Mr. Stubblefield.

Dork.

[Warren DeMontague]

4. "Curtis, when you cut my hair, can you give me something that accentuates my bald spot

causes my massively outsized front teeth to look even creepier, and generally makes my head look like a big shiny penis?"

"Oh, and please hurry, because I'm on my way to Casual Male to buy a tie that looks like I ate a Backgammon Board and shat it out my neck"

[CurtEastPoint]

8. You need to be a screenwriter! GOod one!

[LondonReign2]

2. Because what Arkansas needs is more teen mothers

[Art_from_Ark]

6. I once had a roommate from Trumann, Arkansas

He told me that his town led the state (if that's what you could call it) in the number of teen pregnancies. Almost no sex education at all in the schools, from what he told me. This was back in the late '70s. It is really, really stupid to deny sex education to teens.

[Bucky]

3. No one listens to Bobby Jindal.

I wonder if they're thinking that by cutting sex ed, the kids' awareness of sex.

After all, their own ignorance about responsible governance is leading to less responsible government.

[Warren DeMontague]

5. It was pretty funny when he was supposed to deliver that slam-dunk SOTU response, though;

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/02/25/bobby-jindal-response-pan_n_169710.html

Didn't quite work out so well, if I recall.

[sakabatou]

7. Ugh, the stupid...

Arkansas better be prepared for more teen and unwanted pregnancies, as well as more STDs.

[HappyMe]

9. *sigh!*

Stupid. Just plain stupid.

[In_The_Wind]

10. IMO: Arkansas made a huge mistake.