TALLAHASSEE, Florida, March 2, 2005 (LifeSiteNews.com) – Florida Governor Jeb Bush unveiled a plan to curb abortion that would include $4 million in spending for pre-abortion counselling, to help women consider alternatives such as adoption. “I … believe that women, when confronted with this very traumatic choice when they’re pregnant, need to have options available to them,” Bush said, as reported by sptimes.com.
Lt. Gov. Toni Jennings unveiled the plan Monday, which is modeled after one implemented by a pro-life Pennsylvania Governor, but which has survived two successive pro-abortion leaders. “It shows that the abortion issue does not have to be a political one, that giving women counselling on such an important decision is worthy of public dollars,” Bush stated.
The Pregnancy Support Services Program is modeled after Pennsylvania’s Real Alternatives, a program that has operated since 1996 and served 86,000 women from 126 centers statewide.
The money will be spent to train counsellors and set up a toll-free hot line, also for programs helping new parents with parenting skills for up to 1 year after the birth of a baby. The program also includes a media campaign to promote abortion alternatives such as adoption. The Governor’s office noted that last year there were 92,000 abortions committed in the state v. 217,000 babies born. The abortion rate has climbed by seven percent since 2001, while newborn births have only increased by 5.3 percent in the same period, Bush said.
See the Pennsylvania Real Alternatives web site: realalternatives.com
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