Helping Sean Remember.....

June 4, 2010: Yesterday, Governor Sean Parnell issued his vetoes of the fiscal year 2011 State operating and capital budgets. Included in his vetoes was a $3 million cut aimed at letting more Alaskans have health care costs covered under Denali Kid Care.

It's an increase he supported when it overwhelmingly passed the Legislature. But the governor said he reversed his position after recently finding out some Denali Kid Care money goes to fund abortions.

He just recently found out? No he didn't.

Sean Parnell has known for a long time that this was happening, his sudden realization has more to do with GOP primary politics than any firm belief.

Over the last fifteen years, the Alaska State Legislature has twice passed bills to prevent government funds (i.e. Denali Kid Care) from being used for abortions that a doctor deems are medically necessary. On both occasions, the bills were ruled unconstitutional by the courts on the basis of equal access under the law.

In fact, Parnell knows all to well that this is happening because he served as co-chair of Senate Finance and was a member of the committee back in February 1998 when they heard HB234 sponsored by former Representative Terry Martin.

The purpose of HB 234 is to limit the number of free abortions being paid for by State government, Miller told the committee. While the governor complains about not having money for emergency eyeglasses for children, we're funding public abortions, he added.

According to the committee minutes, then Senator Parnell peppered both the sponsor and those who testified, showing a clear understanding that the State was providing funding for medically necessary abortions.

In one exchange with a woman testifying against the bill, Parnell challenged her testimony about the costs to the State.

"Senator Parnell questioned if the lack of the availability of abortion services didn't come into play, what would the division's version of the fiscal note about the cost of providing health care for children who would be in the Medicare system."

If that's not enough to raise doubts about Parnell's "sudden realization," then the fact that he voted to create the Denali Kid Care program three months later should say everything about his knowledge.

Parnell knew. He's always known. This was nothing more than a softball to the far right as he's facing a tough GOP primary challenge.

For heaven's sake governor, grow a spine and just come out and say you vetoed health care for 1,000 kids because of cheap primary politics.