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Before the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe two years ago, one of the most ardent cries of the anti-abortion lobby was that no public funds should be used to fund the procedure. In fact, federal funds cannot be used to pay for an abortion under the Hyde Amendment, which has been in place since 1977.
There have been many other efforts at the federal and state level across the U.S. from those opposed to abortion rights to choke off any government funding, even if it’s not necessarily helping pay for abortions, but helping pay for other services that reproductive health centers provide. The argument is that the government has no business in that particular line of health care.
As such, it’s highly ironic and deeply hypocritical that the solidly anti-abortion GOP that has a supermajority in the West Virginia Legislature is fine with spending government funds out of state to support their side.
Delegate Pat McGeehan, R-Hancock, helped a Catholic college in Steubenville, Ohio, apply for and receive $5 million from West Virginia through an Economic Enhancement grant, according to a report from the Gazette-Mail’s Mike Tony. The small College of St. Joseph is considering expanding into West Virginia, according to emails obtained by the Gazette-Mail. In the expansion proposal, the college mentioned its support for anti-abortion activism and anti-immigration policy.
The emails indicate McGeehan facilitated talks between the college and members of the Justice administration leading to awarding the grant. However, it also appears that proper procedure for awarding the grant was not followed.
What’s worse is that Economic Enhancement grants come from the state’s Water Development Authority, which is meant to aid infrastructure in a state that has some of the worst public water service in the nation.
Clearly, far-right West Virginia policymakers care more about funding ideology advocates than actually helping West Virginians.
This entire debacle also makes it clear that certain arguments are only used as long as they’re convenient. They don’t care about spending public dollars on the abortion issue, as long as the money is flowing to their side.
In any event, state leaders are getting very fast and loose with how they handle state money, and don’t seem to care what anyone thinks about it. Until voters tell them they’re wrong, nothing will change.
