What's your opinion on this? Are DFLers being cruel?

Minnesota Citizens Concerned for life sent out the following press release last week:

In a cruel, concerted effort to deny help to pregnant women in need, the Senate DFL has launched an attack on a modest state fund established in 2005. The DFL-controlled Health & Human Services Budget Division, chaired by Sen. Linda Berglin, DFL-Minneapolis, this morning approved her proposal to slash in half funding for the Positive Alternatives Act.

“It is outrageously malicious for Senator Berglin and the Senate DFL to deny support for pregnant women in Minnesota who need help,” said Scott Fischbach, executive director of Minnesota Citizens Concerned for Life (MCCL). “Many women who may otherwise choose abortion are empowered through services funded by Positive Alternatives to choose life. Their life support is being cut off by the Senate DFL.”

The Positive Alternatives Act makes service grants available to organizations that provide direct care to pregnant women and their unborn children and provide referrals for services. Those services include medical attention, nutritional support, housing assistance, adoption services, education and employment assistance, and parenting education and support. The first grants were awarded in July 2006 to 37 agencies and organizations; grant requests for more than twice the funds awarded demonstrated the enormous need that many pregnant women face in Minnesota.

The legislation was passed in 2005 by a large majority of the DFL-controlled Senate on a vote on 53-11. Many of those same senators are now working to gut Positive Alternatives and refuse to help pregnant women who do not want to abort their unborn children. Berglin admitted during this morning’s health committee debate that many members of the DFL Senate Caucus want to effectively kill Positive Alternatives by eliminating all funds to support pregnant women.

“This morning’s action by pro-abortion senators is purely political,” Fischbach added. “The state has a large revenue surplus -- there is no need for the Senate DFL to plunder funds for the modest Positive Alternatives program. The Senate health committee must restore the much-needed Positive Alternatives funds to make sure that pregnant women receive the support and services they need to choose life.”

For more information on protective legislation and MCCL student programs, visit www.mccl.org [2].