Metro Nashville Council Votes To Approve Half-Million Planned Parenthood Grant

Image Credit: Jorge Gómez / CC

The Tennessee Conservative [By Paula Gomes] –

Metro councilmembers voted 19 to 13 last week to approve a $500 thousand grant to be given to Planned Parenthood of Tennessee and North Mississippi for contraception services, family planning counseling, and sex education. 

The proposal was originally designed to include financial assistance for women seeking to get an abortion outside of Tennessee, but that provision was removed after concerns from the Metro Department of Law that it would threaten Title X funding. Title X prohibits government funds from being used for abortion or any related services.

The grant is just one of several attempts by Nashville leaders to protest the Human Life Protection Act that makes abortion a felony in Tennessee.

The city of Nashville and Davidson County government created new legislation to offer special tax breaks to businesses that provide compensation for employees to travel out of state for abortions. Metro Council has also forbidden law enforcement officials from using license plate readers to enforce laws against abortion.

“This is intended to send a strong signal that we are standing up on behalf of people who can become pregnant or people who want to engage in family planning,” said Council Member Freddie O’Connell, during a long debate on the legislation that lasted until 2:30 am in the morning.

During the lengthy session, council members debated giving the funds to the Metro Public Health Department which already offers the same services that Planned Parenthood can provide.

Council Member Sandra Sepulveda said that more people seek family planning and sex education services at Planned Parenthood than at the Metro Health Department.

“The mission here is to give more access, not to limit access,” Council Member Kathleen Murphy said. “How many of you see the same health care provider that I see? How many of you go to the health department to get your flu shot? We go to see healthcare providers that we feel comfortable with — not who is mandated by the government.”

Funding for the grant is coming from the salaries of Metro Council and the Mayor’s Office staff and from the traffic signal maintenance fund. No consideration has been given to a proposal to give the same type of funding to life-affirming organizations that support parenting or adoption.

In all, 14 metro departments’ budgets will be affected with the largest deductions coming from Metro Parks, the Nashville Public Library, the Department of Health, and the Nashville Department of Transportation – $60,000 from each of these departments – and $90,000 coming from the Metro Nashville Department’s pay plan.

About the Author: Paula Gomes is a Tennessee resident and reporter for The Tennessee Conservative. You can reach Paula at paula@tennesseeconservativenews.com.