(Courtesy of Center for Arizona Policy)

Cathi Herrod

The new state budget just approved by Gov. Doug Ducey could mean that Planned Parenthood funding from the government will be cut off in the future.

Normally, Planned Parenthood in Arizona is funded by grant money through the Arizona Family Health Partnership, which then doles it out to providers, like Planned Parenthood. That money provides women’s health services, like well woman exams and preventative services but it never funds abortions.

Now, a new budget provision passed by the state Legislature changes the way that this family planning money is doled out.

The provision, passed within the state budget, requires the Arizona Department of Health Services to apply for that family planning grant, and, if they get it, Planned Parenthood would be cut out of the money all together.

Last week, I spoke to Bre Thomas, CEO of Arizona Family Health Partnership about the threat to Planned Parenthood funding, and, today, I wanted to hear the other side of the argument. I spoke with Cathi Herrod, president of Center for Arizona Policy.

Herrod is not shy about expressing displeasure with Planned Parenthood. In fact, she’s often quoted, and told me, “A dollar to Planned Parenthood for Title X family planning certainly frees up another dollar to support their abortion services.”

I asked her if this new shift to a funding model through the Department of Health Services was unique to Arizona.