Alaska Gov. Sean Parnell (R) vetoed funding for a health care program that covers low-income pregnant women and children because of concerns about abortion, while the South Carolina Legislature passed a state budget that does not include a proposal that would have restricted abortion coverage in the state health insurance plan. Summaries appear below.

~ Alaska: On Thursday, Gov. Sean Parnell (R) vetoed a provision in the state budget bill that would have allocated nearly $3 million to expand Denali Kid Care, which covers health care costs for low-income pregnant women and children, citing concerns the discovery that some of money pays for abortion services, the Anchorage Daily News reports. The program does not cover elective abortions; however, the state is required to pay for "medically necessary" abortions for low-income women, according to state Sen. Hollis French (D), who is running against Parnell for governor. The $2.9 million cut from the program's budget would have expanded eligibility to cover women and children with household incomes up to 200% of the federal poverty level. State Sen. Bettye Davis (D), who sponsored the provision, said 1,300 children and 225 pregnant women would have received care through the expansion. Davis added that only a "very small number" of abortions are funded through Denali Kid Care. However, Parnell claimed that "hundreds of abortions [are] being paid for by these funds." The state Department of Health and Social Services did not comment on the level of funding for abortion services or on how it determines which abortions are covered under the program (Cockerham, Anchorage Daily News, 6/4).

~ South Carolina: On the last day of the legislative session, the state Legislature on Thursday passed a nearly $5 billion state budget after House Republicans persuaded their caucus to abandon efforts to restrict abortion coverage in the state health insurance plan, the AP/Rock Hill Herald reports. The proposed restrictions, which had been a sticking point since they were introduced in March, would have eliminated abortion coverage for rape and incest survivors. Republican support propelled the proposal through the House, but the Senate "flatly rejected" the restrictions, with the budget conference committee following suit. State Rep. Daniel Cooper (R) said enough House Republicans committed to voting for the budget without the restrictions after the chamber's Republican Caucus said the abortion ban proposal and the imposition of a 24-hour waiting period before receiving abortion care would be top priorities in 2011 (Davenport, AP/Rock Hill Herald, 6/3). The waiting period bill (HB 3245), which also would have required ultrasounds, died with the end of the legislative session. Abortion-rights advocates said the measure would have burdened women, especially those living in rural areas, because they would have to make two trips to a health care facility (Adcox, AP/Google, 6/3). The state budget also eliminated $3 million in funding for HIV treatment and prevention services. The budget is scheduled to take effect July 1. The Legislature will return June 15 to address any vetoes from Gov. Mark Sanford (R) (Wenger, Charleston Post and Courier, 6/4).

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