Family Foundation lobbies McDonnell on abortion, stem cell research

With less a week until Gov. Bob McDonnell's deadline to amend the state budget, the Family Foundation has launched an all-out blitz to convince him not to spend tax dollars on Planned Parenthood, elective abortions and stem cell research.

The conservative statewide organization sent out 11,000 emails and more than 5,000 mailers to supporters this week urging them to call or write McDonnell.

McDonnell could include amendments to the budget that prevent tax dollars from being spent on embryonic stem cell research, elective abortion and Planned Parenthood.

The e-mail alert includes a link to a radio interview McDonnell had in the final days before the November election in which he vowed to "defund" Planned Parenthood.

McDonnell said on Laura Ingraham's conservative radio show that he would veto any attempts to use tax dollars to fund their organization.

Ingraham asked McDonnell: "Can you promise that as governor you'll use the veto pen to ensure that Virginians' tax dollars are not used to fund Planned Parenthood or abortion?"

McDonnell responded: "Yeah, I've said that I would do that. We shouldn't be doing that in Virginia. ... That's common sense. ... That'll be part of what we'll get done."

Planned Parenthood, which serves 30,000 women in the state a year, receives about $35,000 in state funds, according to its Virginia office. Planned Parenthood enrolled providers and their associated entities received more than $275,000 in healthcare claims, according to state documents.

The last few years, attempts to make Planned Parenthood ineligible for funding were killed in the General Assembly. A change could mean the organization's clinics would not be reimbursed for providing healthcare to patients who receive Medicaid, a state-run program.

McDonnell has until midnight Tuesday to make changes to the state budget.