OPINION| Thomas: Sign The Petition to Halt Taxpayer Abortion Clinic Funding [Poll]

Talk about crazy. Decades ago the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court ruled, constitutionally, that if our tax dollars paid for health clinics providing birth services, then it needed to use our tax dollars to fund clinics in the abortion biz.

Thirty six years later, there's an effort underway to change the state constitution. The Renew Massachusetts Coalition has authored an amendment so clinics like Planned Parenthood don't receive your tax dollars. The Attorney General has certified that the Amendment question is legal. Soon the coalition will be out seeking approximately 100,000 raw signatures, in the hope of getting 64,750 certified signatures by early November. If the coalition gets the necessary signatures, the Constitutional Amendment ballot question will appear when we vote in November 2020.

Our nation's highest court ruled in the 1970's that a woman has a Constitutional right to privacy. However, private matters should not be subsidized with taxpayer dollars, even in cases of incest or rape. If the courts convict the rapist, and the victim earlier opts for an abortion, make the convict repay for said services. They call that restitution. A free society demands time and a fine for their crime.

For the record. I don't support my tax dollars funding clinics that provide abortion services. I also say no to my tax dollars being used to subsidize pro-life clinics. Both groups have my blessing to peaceably promote their agenda, but not with my money.

My advice. Sign the petition. Allow the people to vote on this very controversial constitutional question. Doing so will lead to at least three years of open dialogue. Citizens will get a better idea of how and where their tax dollars are flowing. Women will learn of more options/choices. Most importantly, Baystaters will become a part of the political and taxpayer process.

Editor’s Note: Brian Thomas is the host of Brian’s Beat on 1420 WBSM New Bedford.  He can be heard weekdays from 10am-Noon and Saturdays from 6am-9am.  The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of the author.