The Stan Clark Pregnancy Maintenance Initiative

The 2010 legislative session has ended and it has clearly been a difficult one.  As I write this, the 2011 budget is sitting on the governor’s desk waiting for his signature.  It is a budget of $13.7 billion with a 1% sales tax to make it balance.

Much in this legislative session received a lot of attention. There was a statewide smoking ban passed that excluded the new state owned casinos.  A bill was passed increasing restrictions on abortion that was vetoed by the governor.  Seat belt laws were strengthened, and texting while driving was discussed.

There is one element of this session that received little attention but that has a significant impact.  The Stan Clark Pregnancy Maintenance Initiative was a grant program that is funded through the Kansas Department of Health and Environment. All four of the Catholic Charities agencies in Kansas were recipients of that funding.

• We help women make plans for the future of their children.
• We give women hope and support in their ability to give birth and successfully raise their children.
• We provide counseling and care as these young people decided whether or not adoption and another family may be the best opportunity for their child.
• And finally, we provide support, education and a caring voice after the baby is born.

This initiative is in the 2011 budget to be funded for $199,113.

We have a lot of people to thank for keeping the Stan Clark Pregnancy Maintenance Initiative a part of the state budget.  We thank the staff of the Catholic Charities agencies who gathered statistical and financial information, often at short notice.  Michael Schuttloffel with the Kansas Catholic Conference of Bishops worked with the members of the Kansas legislature, and the Bishops of Kansas allowed him to devote much of his time to this project.  I appreciate the effort of the many Kansans for Life members, and other advocacy groups that helped communicate the need for this initiative in this state.

The future of this initiative is now in the hands of Governor Parkinson and the people in Kansas.  Our understanding is that it is unlikely that the governor will veto this as a line item in the budget.  However, it may fall victim to administrative cuts if state revenues are not adequate to support the budget.

If this happens, few will notice.  But a number of children and their parents who are working very hard to make the right decisions will.  If you are interested in following this and promoting the effort please visit the Kansas Catholic Conference webpage.