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Family Planning Services Bill on Governor Schwarzenegger's Desk--"One of the Most Important of the Year"--The Cost of Doing Nothing is Too High

Perata Speaks Directly with the Governor on SB 94

Shannon Smith-Crowley of the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, speaking yesterday in support of SB 94 with Carla Kakutani, MD, California Academy of Family Physicians, Kathy Kneer of Planned Parenthood, Mandy Benson, President of California National Organization for Women (CA NOW), Senator Don Perata and others listening.

By Frank D. Russo

It's not a lot of money compared with the billions of dollars that normally make the headlines from Sacramento, but the $3.2 million dollars in SB 94 (Kuehl) for family planning is needed to prevent unwanted pregnancies, thousands of human tragedies, and to deal with the increased rats of sexually transmitted diseases form Chlamydia to gonorrhea to HIV/AIDS. And from a purely fiscal standpoint it makes sense--it will no only draw down $9 million in federal matching funds, but will save California's taxpayers many more times moreover from what we will otherwise have to pay for in dealing with problems at the "back end" that are preventable.

Clinics throughout California are turning away 10,000 patients a month because they simply don't have the capacity to provide these preventive health care services.

California has the 7th highest teenage pregnancy rate of any state. According to the Public Health Institute's report, No Time for Complacency: Teen Births in California, the costs of teen births alone are more than $1.5 billion each year and when total societal costs are taken into account, costs associated with these teen births in this state are $3.4 billion.

You would think it would be a "no brainer" for the Governor to sign the bill, but its supporters are not sure. It passed both houses of the legislature with all Democrats present voting for it, but with the vote of only one Republican out of 47--Senator Aanestad.. So they appeared in the state Capitol with President pro Tem Don Perata to move it up into the public's consciousness and to solicit support.

Kathy Kneer, the head of Planned Parenthood in the state noted that the numbers turned away by clinics means "tens of thousands of Californians who will go without birth control, or receive breast and cervical cancer screenings, who have no access to testing and treatment of sexually transmitted diseases or HIV/AIDS. This is a public health crisis that can't wait."

President pro Tem Don Perata made clear the importance of this bill in the context of many passed this year by the legislature:

"Of all the bills on the Governor's desk, there must be some 700, this has to be in the top 5. and the reasons are manifold and they've been mentioned. Let me just say from a practical political point of view, we are losing control over the issue of family planning, women's health, particularly at the very youngest ages. Unless we do prevention work, such as provided by Planned Parenthood, then we are simply going to the back end as we do on so many other health care issues in this state--and paying the highest cost. It is not only financially costly, it's destructive to the social fabric. It involves people's lives and in many cases involves unwanted pregnancies and all the wrath that comes with that, socially and economically.

"So the Governor has a lot of reasons beyond being pro choice to do that. But , as a Governor who has said this is the year of health care reform and as we struggle mightily to try to come up with a solution, … the fact of the matter is that even in the best, perfect world that we got everything that we wanted to do in health care reform, it's years away from implementation. These services, this money, is needed now."

Responding to a comment made by one of the other speakers about the state's financial predicament, Perata said:

"And as we look at next year's budget--and everybody up here is inured to say "We have a budget crisis"--no kidding--we are in a chronic state of crisis. We are like unrecovered alcoholics…We are headed into one of our worst years, and all of the economic indicators suggest that we have not yet come to a hard landing or a soft landing, we haven't landed yet. That means that going after federal dollars, where we leverage a dollar against knowing what the federal government must give us, we're not depending on their largesse or their good humor, you've got to do it."

"So, we're going to leave a lot of money on the table, money that we're going to try to fight out somewhere else next year if we don't do this. So, I'm sure the Governor knows all that, however, it's always the squeaky wheel that gets the signature, so we're squeaking loudly, I intend this afternoon to make the case personally with the Governor this afternoon as well.

"There are many bills on his desk, some of which I've authored myself, that I would candidly admit are not nearly as important to the state of California, to its health and future, than this bill."

The San Jose Mercury News editorialized strongly in support of SB 94 last week, one of the latest in a long line of papers up and down the state do so.

If you want to add your voice to the Governor, click here.

Posted on September 27, 2007

Comments

Please VETO SB-94. It is a bad bill and puts money into PP wihich is the biggest abortion mill in the U.S. None of our tax dollars should be going to Planned Parenthood. Tax money needs to be taken away from PP completely. VETO AB-94 AND HELP CALIFORNIA.

Posted by: CATHERINE M. WYNNE at October 13, 2007 12:09 AM

Posted by: CATHERINE M. WYNNE at October 13, 2007 12:10 AM

Posted by: CATHERINE M. WYNNE at October 13, 2007 12:11 AM

Posted by: CATHERINE M. WYNNE at October 13, 2007 12:16 AM

Posted by: CATHERINE M. WYNNE at October 13, 2007 12:17 AM

Clearly "Catherine M. Wynne" has some sort of vendetta against Planned Parenthood - one of the leading providers of preventive health care in the State. It's hard to imagine why someone would post so many comments asking the Governor to veto a bill that would help provide breast and cervical cancer screenings, HIV testing, and birth control to tens of thousands of Californians. Clearly her opposition to abortion has blinded her to the fact that this funding will save many lives and save the State Billions in future costs. Same old tired rhetoric and black and all-or-nothing thinking from fanatics. Sign SB 94!

Posted by: Jason Tescher at October 13, 2007 04:43 PM

Jason: The best news is--the Governor has jsut signed the bill!

Posted by: Frank D. Russo at October 13, 2007 05:16 PM

Yep Frank, Jason, he has.... And the irony is that many many abortions are PREVENTED through access to effective birth control. Funny how opponents complain about spending and additional $3 million in state tax money for family planning to prevent unwanted pregnancy but not $1.5 billion to pay for the consequences of teen pregnancy.

Posted by: JL at October 14, 2007 05:10 PM

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