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Volume 97 | Issue 23
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ntdaily.com
The Student Newspaper of the University of North Texas
Bill denies Planned Parenthood funding
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Bill would strip $317 million from nonprofit BY NICOLE BALDERAS Staff Writer
Activists on both sides of the abortion debate are raising their voices on a bill recently passed by the U.S. House of Representatives that would deny funding to the Planned Parenthood Federation of America. President Barack Obama has promised to veto the Pence Amendment, approved Feb. 18 as part of a new spending bill, if it passes the Democratically-controlled Senate. But the House’s approval of the amendment nicknamed the “No Taxpayer Funding for Abortion Act” has thrust abortion back into the national spotlight. If passed, the amendment would cut all of the $317 million in federal funding received by the nonprofit organization annually. “It’s going to cut funding for preventive health care for millions of people,” said Holly Morgan, the communications and media relations director for Planned Parenthood in Dallas. “A lot of people label this as concerning abortion, but neither federal funds nor tax dollars ever go toward abortions.” Planned Parenthood has 28 clinics in North Texas, and provides care to more than 90,000 people a year, she said. The Planned Parenthood in Denton does not provide abortions. Morgan said the cuts will affect the organization’s ability to provide clients with services such as mammograms, pap smears, birth control, family planning services and STD testing for men and women.
Ted Hatch, a member of the UNT anti-abortion organization Eagles for Life, said he’s in favor of the amendment. “Planned Parenthood is the largest abortion provider in the U.S.,” said Hatch, an engineering senior. “The Pence Amendment is a good thing because it removes Title 10 from Planned Parenthood. There are plenty of other alternative clinics that could be used, like the White Rose in downtown Dallas. They give pregnancy screenings, and provide support for after the baby is born.”
“It’s going to cut funding for preventative healthcare for millions.”
—Holly Morgan, Planned Parenthood
Both sides show support The Walk for Choice 2011 was held Saturday in Dallas, and brought out more than 300 people who opposed to the amendment. Organizer of the Dallas walk and president of UNT’s I nter n at ion a l S oc ia l i st Organization, Brit Schulte walked to show support. “It’s absolutely the most outright fault on women’s rights, so we’re meeting that with full force. Our slogan is ‘We have a voice, we have a choice,’” said Schulte, an English senior. “For so long, women have had to deal with second rate medical care, especially poor working class women. We’re trying to reinvigorate the struggle.”
See SPENDING on Page 2
PHOTO ASHLEY-CRYSTAL FIRSTLEY/STAFF WRITER
Mike Coleman, a member of the Students for a Democratic Society and applied arts and science senior, helps Baraka Waweru, an international relations senior, sign up on the group’s e-mail list.
Students protest for representation BY A SHLEY-CRYSTAL FIRSTLEY & DANA WALKER Staff Writer & Intern
About 100 students gathered on the campus green Wed nesday a f ter noon to voice their dissatisfaction with proposed budget cuts and what they said was a lack of student representation at UNT. T he St udents for a Democratic Society, a national student advocacy group that promotes increased representation for students on college ca mpuses, sponsored t he rally as part of National Day of Action. “The ultimate goal is to be able to have some sort of [student] organization that has binding power to have decision making or having the decision making power in the UNT administration,” said Will Wooten, a public administration graduate student and member of the organization. The protest came a day after UNT President V. Lane Rawlins held a public hearing to address concerns over a recently announced proposal to increase tuition. The proposal would add an additional $118 per 15 semester cred it hou rs to st udents’
tuition and generate more than $6 million to offset expected state budget cuts. Orga n i zers of t he ra l ly displayed large posters of what they depicted as a decision hierarchy, with drawings, charts and graphs of the tuition increases, and photos of other international budget
have to work together to be able to advocate for themselves,” Wooten said. “We hope in the future we will be able to set up this network of people to be able to do that.” He said he wants the SGA to listen to students’ opinions and fight for them. Christopher Walker is the
“We feel like the students, the workers and the faculty have to work together to be able to advocate for themselves.”
—Will Wooten, Public affairs graduate student
protests. Wooten said he doesn’t feel well represented by the current university system. “Right now what we have is the SGA, which has no binding power whatsoever. A vote in the SGA literally means nothing,” he said. Wooten said the SGA doesn’t actually make change, because the administration can easily over turn its decisions. “We feel like the students, the workers and the faculty
SGA senator for the College of Music. He said the group’s frustration was misguided. “The dismay shouldn’t be against the school administ rat ion,” sa id Wa l ker, a composition senior. “It should be aimed toward the state Legislature.”
See LOOMING on Page 2 To read more about this issue, see the Daily’s editorial on Page 5
UNT researchers study effects of gas drilling Study will examine air, soil and water
spe c i f ic a l l y w it h mat ter s c o n c e r n i n g Te x a s a i r quality. Hone yc ut t sa id nat u ra l gas drilling sites ca n have bot h positive and negative BY MEGAN R ADKE effects on the cities and areas Staff Writer surrounding them. On t he posit ive side, In response to mounting Honeycutt said, the natural c on c e r n s of c ont a m i n agas dr i l ling ca n boost t he t ion i n Nor t h Texas, UN T economy of an area. Negative researchers are gathering data effects of drilling most often for a study that would identify include noise and traffic, as and measure environmental well as certain smells associimpacts of Barnett Shale gas ated with the natural gas. drilling. Keith Brown, the The Barnett Shale bedrock program manager of UNT’s has been a potential energy Center for the Study of the source for the region since Interdisciplinarity, said the natural gas was discovered econom ic benef it s of t he in t he 1950s, but t he sha le d r i l l i ng don’t mea n much remained largely untapped for many Denton residents. u nt i l recent developments “The only people benefiting in drilling technology made PHOTO BY SARA JONES/SENIOR STAFFER from this are the people who t he resource more obta inown the property,” he said. able. Since 2007, thousands An oilrig stands in Denton off I-35 on the Payne Lease. It is owned by the HEP Oil Company, LTD. “They didn’t even hire people of drilling permits have been issued in 17 North Texas coun- of t he env ironmenta l a nd dri l ling dates, a ir qua lit y, regulates the Barnett Shale from Denton to work those ties, with Denton as one of the occupational health depart- w a s t e d i s p o s a l me t ho d s and ensures that all natural wells. They brought in out-ofmost productive. ment at t he U N T Hea lt h and community stress levels gas-drilling operators have town workers.” Brow n sa id he bel ieved The UNT researchers will Science Center, is heading because of the drilling. permits to show that reguinvestigate the environmental, the project. “It ’s a v er y l a r ge a nd lations set by the agency are the harmful environmental ef fects of t he d r i l l i ng a re social and economic impacts He said the study began c ompl ic ate d d at a s et to being met. the drilling has had on the la st yea r, a s re sea rcher s work w it h,” Sterl i ng sa id. Michael Honeycut t, t he already apparent. area’s population. T he Texas Com m ission c om m i s s ion’s t ox ic olo g y collected information about Dav id Sterling, t he chair well locations, permitting, on Env ironmenta l Qua lit y department manager, works See ANALYSIS on Page 2