2015: The Budget McCrory Signed Into Law Included A Provision That Eliminated State Funding For Planned Parenthood And Family Planning Clinics. to an opinion to the News & Observer by Linda Darnell Williams, “The state budget, approved by the legislature last week and signed by Gov. Pat McCrory, includes a provision that banned giving new state funds or renewing contracts to groups that provide family planning and pregnancy prevention if those groups also provide abortions. The provision was inserted in the budget at the last minute and became law without debate. At the time, no lawmaker took credit for the budget provision, but Sen. Chad Barefoot, a Wake County Republican, sponsored a bill that would make the two-year budget provision permanent. Although not mentioned by name, the move is clearly aimed at Planned Parenthood and affects about $135,000 in state funds for the group’s teen pregnancy prevention initiative in Fayetteville, as well as the adolescent parenting program in Wilmington that has a good track record for preventing repeat pregnancies among teen parents and helping them graduate high school.” [Linda Darnell Williams, Opinion – News & Observer, 9/24/15]
McCrory Signed A Bill That Banned The Sale Of Fetal Tissue From Aborted Fetuses. According to the Associated Press, “A bill banning the sale of fetal tissue from aborted fetuses in North Carolina is now law. Gov. Pat McCrory’s office said the governor signed the bill Thursday along with four others the General Assembly left on his desk. The fetal tissue measure was a response to videos taken of Planned Parenthood officials discussing how they provide aborted fetal organs for research. Federal law prohibits these tissue sales, but there was no similar state law on the books.” [Associated Press, 10/1/15]
McCrory Promised To Investigate Cuts In The North Carolina Budget That Reduced Personal Income Tax Rates And Defunded Teen Pregnancy Programs. According to NBC - 17 WNCN, “McCrory said, ‘Well, that same institution predicted a billion dollar deficit this year and they were dead wrong. We ended up havnig a $425 million surplus. Some of the people who said our state would be in terrible shape last year at this point in time were dead wrong.’ […] ‘The way that program was eliminated is wrong and whoever has their fingerprints on that ought to come out in public and say they did it behind closed doors. We're going to try and still change that, hopefully within the next 48 hours.’ The budget defunds teen pregnancy programs through Planned Parenthood, one for prevention in Fayetteville and one for parenting in Wilmington.
Asked if he agreed, he said, ‘I'm confident that there will be other organizations that will step up and provide those services.’” [NBC – 17 WNCN, 9/17/15]