Arizonans don’t want to support the abortion industry.
Polling consistently tells us this, and even more to the point, Arizonans have elected one of the most pro-life legislatures in the country, along with a Governor with a strong and steady record of protecting life.
This explains why HB 2384 received so much support by the legislature. This bill ensures that no taxpayer dollars or student tuition and fees at our public universities are used for abortion training.
It also prohibits donations to organizations that provide, promote, pay for, or provide referrals for abortion from qualifying for the working poor tax credit.
Following Senate bill passage sending HB 2384 to the Governor, some media members chose to highlight a statement by an apparent opponent … and they missed the facts and the point.
Straight from the headlines:
- Yuma Sun: Abortion Bill Would Limit OB Training at State Schools
- Arizona Daily Star: Abortion Bill Could Hurt Med Students
- East Valley Tribune: Abortion Bill Threatening UA doctor training goes to governor
These stories say:
“[HB 2384] would leave the medical school without training it needs.
‘If enacted, this proposed legislation will certainly jeopardize the accreditation of our obstetrics-gynecology residency program,’ said Steven Goldschmid, a doctor and dean of the University of Arizona College of Medicine in Tucson.”
This simply is not true.
The ob/gyn residency program accreditation does NOT require abortion training. The requirements state that if a residency program or hospital has a legal or moral reason why they cannot or do not offer abortion training, they are not required to provide it. The program only has to provide training in managing complications from abortion and not inhibit a student from seeking the training elsewhere. Both of those things would still be allowed under the bill.
Additionally, our state already has an example of an ob-gyn residency program in Arizona – the one run by Maricopa County’s health district – that has a legal restriction prohibiting abortion training and abortion services and that has retained its accreditation to this day. This program’s accreditation has not been threatened or jeopardized by a legal restriction prohibiting taxpayer dollars from funding abortions or abortion training.
For the Record:
- HB 2384 does not jeopardize the accreditation of the University of Arizona’s ob/gyn residency program, nor any similar program in the state. National accreditation board’s rules have exceptions for programs where state laws ban public funds for abortion training.
- HB 2384 does continue longstanding Arizona public policy protecting taxpayers from being forced to have their taxpayer dollars used to promote, provide, or perform abortions.