DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Lt. Gov. Kim Reynolds says she supports cutting money that helps at-risk youth in Iowa in order to pay for a new program that ends state funding for Planned Parenthood.
Reynolds, the incoming Iowa governor, defended the plan Tuesday by saying other services like foster care wouldn't be affected.
Gov. Terry Branstad and Reynolds want to create a state program that distributes family planning money to organizations that don't perform abortions.
The plan includes passing up millions of federal dollars and redirecting $2.8 million that currently goes to child and family services. Iowa has used the roughly $15.2 million grant for foster care and other child protective services, though the state has legal discretion to use the money on family planning services. The Iowa Department of Human Services says there would be less money for programming that helps at-risk youth stay out of welfare and the juvenile justice system.
Planned Parenthood says the move hurts vulnerable children for the sake of politics.