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Donations To Pro-Abortion Rights Groups Spike Dramatically Post-Election

Charlotte Cooper (edited)
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https://www.flickr.com/photos/cecooper/

Planned Parenthood of Indiana and Kentucky has seen donations increase 25-fold in the weeks following this year’s elections.

Before the election, the group received approximately 80 donations a week. For the last four weeks, the average has been closer to 2000 a week.

President-elect Donald Trump has said he would appoint a Supreme Court judge who would be likely to oppose Roe v. Wade, the 1973 decision that legalized abortion. Trump’s vice presidential pick, Indiana Governor Mike Pence, has a history of signing anti-abortion legislation into law.

Pence and Trump’s pick to lead Health and Human Services, Georgia congressman Tom Price, have abortion advocates steeling for a fight.

Planned Parenthood of Indiana and Kentucky spokeswoman Ali Slocum says the election has shed light on the debate in Indiana, and because of that, the organization has seen unprecedented donations from across the country.

“The nation is commiserating with us,” says Slocum. “For the first time they recognize how bad Mike Pence is for public health policy.”

Unlike Trump, who doesn’t have a policy record, Pence is a known quantity people can directly oppose.

“People are donating because they’re so unsure,” says Slocum. “And based on these picks, no one really knows what President-Elect Trump is going to do.”

Shelly Dodson, Executive Director of Bloomington’s All Options Pregnancy Resource Center, says her team has seen a similar increase in gifts from national donors.

“Indiana is really being looked to now and is the spotlight now as the canary in the coal mine,” says Dodson. “Because we know Pence is going to have a heavy hand.”

Both Dodson and Slocum say many of the donations are being made in honor of Pence and Trump. Slocum says Planned Parenthood is also seeing many in the name of Kentucky Governor Matt Bevin, a vocal critic of the group. 

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