Wisconsin Governor Tony Evers provided millions of dollars to Planned Parenthood through grants funded by federal coronavirus relief money, according to a letter from the Wisconsin Institute of Law and Liberty (WILL).
However, the group contends that Evers’ legal standing to fund the abortion provider is questionable at best.
The money was distributed in two different grants: $1.4 million from the “COVID-19 Pandemic Response Nonprofit Grant Program” and $1 million from the “Equitable Recovery Grant Program.”
“We want to know exactly what legal authority Governor Evers thinks he has to create grant programs and ignore the rulemaking process. Additionally, we want to know why he thinks he can ignore clear and explicit state law prohibitions on funding entities, like Planned Parenthood of Wisconsin, that provide abortions and related services,” said WILL Deputy Counsel, Lucas Vebber.
According to WILL, Wisconsin law allowed Evers to send the money to existing programs or to a state agency to administer the funds; however, Evers created a new grant program.
The letter explains that this power is reserved for the Legislature, or “Chapter 227 requires state agencies to follow the rulemaking process established in state law.” Neither example was followed by the Evers administration.
“We believe these grants were unlawful: they were created without statutory authority and administered without validly promulgated rules. Further, even if these programs were lawfully created and administered, then the grants still violate the requirements of your own program and state law prohibitions on the funding of abortion and related services,” the letter to Evers says.
In total, Wisconsin received $4.5 billion in federal funds from various pieces of legislation related to the coronavirus pandemic. As many Republicans warned, much of the money has been spent on priorities that are not related to the virus.
– – –
Cooper Moran is a reporter for The Wisconsin Daily Star and The Star News Network. Email tips to [email protected].
Photo “Tony Evers” by Governor Tony Evers. Background Photo “Pregnant Woman” by Bgmfotografia.
