NEWS FLASH

As Governor, Pawlenty Approved Funding Increase for Planned Parenthood | Although former Gov. Tim Pawlenty just won approval from pro-life advocates across the nation for signing a pledge to oppose abortion, he approved a “dizzying increase” in funding for both Planned Parenthood and family-planning clinics while serving as Minnesota’s chief executive. When he took office, the state’s Family Planning Special Projects program was facing severely depleted funds with an annual budget of only $3.8 million. By the time Pawlenty finished his second term in 2010, the grant program was dolling out close to $5 million for the year to fund public outreach, health education initiatives and family planning at clinics statewide. –Sarah Bufkin