Right to Life of Michigan Responds to Washtenaw County Board of Commissioners’ Allocation of Half a Million Taxpayer Dollars to Planned Parenthood of Michigan

“This is a shocking affront to the public’s trust and a blatant misuse of taxpayer dollars…particularly troubling as Planned Parenthood funnels millions of dollars to support Democrat candidates in the elections,” stated Amber Roseboom, President, Right to Life of Michigan

Grand Rapids, MI – On Wednesday, July 1, 2026, the Washtenaw County Board of Commissioners voted unanimously to allocate $500,000 in local taxpayer monies to Planned Parenthood of Michigan. The commission, made up of all Democrats, indicated there may be more local resources committed to the organization in the future.

“This is a shocking affront to the public’s trust and a blatant misuse of taxpayer dollars. An allocation of half a million taxpayer dollars to Planned Parenthood, with little to no public oversight, defies common sense and flies in the face of good governance,” stated Amber Roseboom, President, Right to Life of Michigan. “Michigan voters expect more from their local office holders. This misuse of local resources is particularly troubling as Planned Parenthood funnels millions of dollars to support Democrat candidates in the elections.”

In May, Planned Parenthood of Michigan openly requested $5 million from Governor Gretchen Whitmer, a request that was encouraged to be sent to the state legislature. As long as Republicans have the majority in the state House, this request is not likely to be met. Planned Parenthood’s demand of the local commission, however, is not new but represents the largest request to date.

“Abortion access is not limited in our state – any suggestion to the contrary is an effort to mislead the public. Abortion is legal in Michigan through all nine months of pregnancy for any reason. There is no lack of access to abortion with providers dispersed throughout the state. Moreover, the abortion pill now accounts for nearly 70% of abortions and is available in both clinics and through confidential mail order,” Roseboom added. “Planned Parenthood’s relentless, misleading campaign for taxpayer funding is a disgrace.”

Days after the Washtenaw County Commission voted to provide half a million dollars to Planned Parenthood, federal funding to the abortion provider was once again expanded to pre-Trump Administration levels.

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Right to Life of Michigan (RLM) is the state’s largest grassroots and policy organization dedicated to advocating life from conception to natural death. Since our founding in 1972, we have remained steadfast in our mission to stand for life by educating the public on current and long-standing life issues, supporting legal safeguards for women, parents, unborn children, the elderly, individuals with disabilities or chronic illness and those at the end of life, and endorsing and electing pro-life candidates for public office. RLM has 80 active, volunteer-led affiliates across the state representing hundreds of thousands of supporters. The organization achieved more than 200 electoral victories in 2024 alone. For more information, visit rtl.org.

For more information:

Joe Toly, Director of Communications, (616) 532-2300, [email protected].