On June 22, New Hampshire’s Executive Council -composed entirely of men- voted to reject the $1.8 million state family planning contract with Planned Parenthood, overturning previous decisions by the state legislature and the Department of Health and Human Services."If they want to have a good time," said Councilor Raymond Wieczorek of Manchester, "Why not let them pay for it?"

While it is a dangerous trend right now in the U.S. to slash public family planning spending because clinics like Planned Parenthood use private funding -and not a penny of federal money- to fund abortion services, the New Hampshire's Executive Council actually takes a more extreme position. Not only do they oppose pregnancy termination, but also pregnancy prevention. Wieczorek stated that he is against funding for all forms of birth control, even condoms.

The Council has crippled the ability of New Hampshire women and families to access safe, affordable reproductive health care. Since July 1, Planned Parenthood has had to turn away hundreds of patients, many of them low-income, seeking health services from prescription refills to STD testing to more.

Further, New Hampshire is now in jeopardy of losing over $1 million in federal funds for family planning and women's health, since the federal government requires that statewide coverage for family planning services. Moreover, family planning actually makes for good financial planning: According to a recent study by The National Campaign to Prevent Teen and Unplanned Pregnancy, "for $1 spent on publicly provided family planning services, $4.02 are saved."

Councilor Wieczorek was wrong; When New Hampshire defunded Planned Parenthood, everyone paid for it. Ask the New Hampshire Executive Council to reinstate the funding for Planned Parenthood immediately.