Planned Parenthood is unfit to provide sex education materials to Texas students because the organization's status as an abortion provider constitutes a "conflict of interest," advocates of a state bill argued on Tuesday.
The allegation came during a hearing on legislation, originally proposed by tea party favorite Texas state Sen. Ken Paxton (R-McKinney), designed to prevent health organizations that also provide abortion services from offering sex education in the state's public schools. According to the Austin American-Statesman, a supporter suggested that Planned Parenthood couldn't be trusted to teach students properly about sex, because doing so would negatively impact the organization's abortion "business."
Speaking before the Senate Education Committee, witness Renate Sims spoke in favor of the bill, saying that the only appropriate sex was "married sex" and that Planned Parenthood "can’t possibly communicate this message effectively because of their inherent conflict of interest."
"If teenagers consistently viewed sex as something to be saved for marriage, Planned Parenthood would lose abortion business," Sims argued.
Supporters of the legislation have admitted that it primarily targets Planned Parenthood, and even conceded that the group only has minimal involvement in providing sex education materials to public schools.
The move is just the latest chapter in Texas' turbulent history with the women's health organization.
Last year, Republican Gov. Rick Perry fought to take Planned Parenthood out of the Texas Women's Health Program, after the state legislature voted to prohibit groups that provide abortion services from receiving state funding. A judge ruled in December 2012 to allow Texas to legally cut Planned Parenthood out of its state-funded program for women.
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