ROUNDUP: The NH GOP Threatens Vital Health Care For Thousands of Granite Staters

In case you missed it, yesterday, Governor Sununu’s Republican Executive Council, yet again, voted to defund Planned Parenthood and other family planning centers. These centers provide contraception, STI treatment and cancer screenings, and other essential health care services to tens of thousands of lower income Granite Staters.

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AP: Republicans reject family planning contracts for 4th time

• The Executive Council — which approves nominations and state contracts — voted 4-1 to deny funding to the Equality Health Center, Lovering Health Center and Planned Parenthood of Northern New England. The contracts… would have funded cancer screenings, testing for sexually transmitted diseases, contraception and other routine health care services for more than 16,000 low-income women.

• “On the national landscape ... we know that women’s services as a whole are under assault. There is considerable discussion in Washington about limiting access to contraception, which is really what brings us to this discussion today,” said the council’s lone Democrat, Cinde Warmington.

NHPR: Family planning funding denied again to N.H. reproductive health centers

• For the fourth time in a year, Republicans on New Hampshire’s Executive Council blocked state funding for reproductive health centers that serve over 16,000 low-income Granite Staters.

• In the last year, however, Republican councilors have repeatedly refused to send this funding to clinics that also provide abortion services, despite reassurances from state officials that the money does not fund abortions. An audit last year confirmed those findings.

WMUR: New Hampshire Executive Council again rejects funds for STI, cancer screenings at abortion providers

• Planned Parenthood said none of the money goes to abortion, and by denying funds for contraception, STI treatment and cancer screenings, councilors are harming public health.

• "Helping low-income and uninsured Granite Staters be able to access birth control is good for everyone," said Kayla Montgomery of Planned Parenthood of Northern New England. "It's good for the economy. It's good for the state of New Hampshire."

InDepthNH: GOP-Controlled Council Again Rejects Funding 3 Health-Care Clinics; Dr. Sherman Protests

• For the fourth time, the current Republican-controlled Executive Council has rejected a series of contracts for health care at reproductive clinics throughout the state, impacting thousands of low-income women.

• Back when he served on the Executive Council in 2015, Chris Sununu bragged that he cast the ‘deciding vote’ to defund Planned Parenthood. Because of Sununu’s vote, Planned Parenthood had to cut STI testing services and patients endured weeks-long waits.

Union Leader: Executive Council approves four of seven family planning clinic contracts

• But for the fourth time in nine months, the Republican majority voted against approving contracts for Planned Parenthood, Equality Health Care in Concord and the Joan G. Lovering Health Center in Greenland because those clinics also provide abortion services.

• The family-planning contracts do not pay for abortion, but the concern that the contracts could indirectly fund abortions led the 4-1 Republican majority on the council to vote against these contracts in September and December 2021, and again in January 2022.