At a press conference yesterday on the Capitol steps in Sacramento, Planned Parenthood was among a group of about two dozen organizations pleading with the legislature not to make additional cuts to state health spending in order to balance the budget. For more than a year, Planned Parenthood has been pleading poverty – but the abortion provider doesn't seem short on cash when it comes to waging a political campaign against Proposition 4. [..]

In the last year, Planned Parenthood has successfully lobbied for several measures to protect its share of state health dollars, including a cost-cutting law relaxing licensing requirements for its satellite clinics. Its political advocacy arm – Planned Parenthood Affiliates of California – has repeatedly sent out alarms to its supporters warning that clinics were in danger of closing because the legislature had not increased Medi-Cal reimbursement rates, and claiming that affiliates across the state were turning away as many as 10,000 patients a month for lack of money.

But when it comes to Sarah's Law, the federal "non-profits" seem to have loads of cash. According to the web site of the California Secretary of State, affiliates of Planned Parenthood have kicked in $1,970,000 so far – and some press reports have indicated there is likely to be more where that came from.