Today the Michigan Senate Transportation Committee heard testimony on SB 163 to create a Choose Life fundraising license plate. The plate has been frequently requested by prolife citizens. Proceeds from people who wish to purchase the plate would go to a fund to be distributed to programs to help women facing unplanned pregnancies.
Bill sponsor Sen. Patrick Colbeck gave a moving testimony about raising funds to support women in crisis. This was followed by two opposing testimonies from the American Association of University Women (Michigan Chapter) and Planned Parenthood. Right to Life of Michigan provided the final testimony in support of the bill.
Testimonies from the two groups supporting abortion were quite absurd. In an apparent attack on adoption, prolife pregnancy centers were referred to as "baby-finding centers" placed near college campuses to allow infertile wealthy white people to recruit and adopt white babies from a "better genetic pool of white college women." In real life these pregnancy centers rely heavily on donations and volunteers to provide free help to women in need, many of whom are non-white.
Planned Parenthood's first line of testimony accused Right to Life of Michigan of "standing in the way of reducing abortions in Michigan." Yeah, you read that right.
It's funny until you realize that Planned Parenthood performs more than 320,000 abortions in America every year. They perform 160 abortions for every adoption referral they do. They can't seem to decide between saying they want to reduce abortions or saying they are proud of them as a vital part of their mission. If abortion is a point of pride as your mission, why reduce it?
Here's the real irony: Planned Parenthood opposes prolife citizens from voluntarily sending money to organizations that help women, but they demand profile citizens be forced to give them money.
A committee vote on the bill is expected next week.
