Anti-Abortion Group Got $$ of N.C. Tax-Payer Money

News about who got what from Speaker Black and Co-Speaker Morgan's $10 million state "slush fund" continues apace. For example, Morgan funnelled $82,000 through Stokes County Republican House member Rex Baker (who used to represent Watauga County in the state House), who gave the money to a King, N.C., anti-abortion Christian "counseling" center to pay off its mortgage. The Hope Pregnancy Care Center "mixes its counseling to women and girls with a call to accept Jesus Christ as their savior." According to the N&O, Morgan "was helping one of his closest allies, former Rep. Rex Baker, a King Republican. Baker made the request for the money last fall after he had lost the Republican primary."

Baker, who sort of sets the benchmark for public lying, denied to the N&O reporter that there was anything religious about the Hope Pregnancy Care Center: "They counsel young women as to the options," Baker said. "They are -- as I am -- very anti-abortion .... [But] I'm not aware of any religious activity."

Uh-huh.

Nothing particularly religious about urging a young woman in trouble and desperate to "accept Jesus Christ as her personal savior." Nothing at all.