May 9, 2012

Planned Parenthood Advocates of Wisconsin Endorses Mayor Tom Barrett
Launches Statewide Ad Supporting Barrett

MADISON- Today, Planned Parenthood Advocates of Wisconsin (PPAWI) announced its endorsement of Mayor Tom Barrett for Governor in the recall election on June 5th and unveiled PPAWI’s first statewide ad backing Tom Barrett. Mayor Barrett has been a true champion for women and women’s health care access. PPAWI’s board has also voted to endorse four Candidates for Senate and has made an endorsement for Lt. Governor in the Recall elections including:

• Mahlon Mitchell for Lt. Governor
• Kristen Dexter in Senate District 23,
• Donna Seidel in Senate District 29,
• John Lehman in Senate District 21,
• Lori Compas in Senate District 13

“Mayor Barrett has been a true champion for women’s health care access,” said Tanya Atkinson Executive Director of Planned Parenthood Advocates of Wisconsin. “As Mayor and Congressmen, Tom Barrett has been a steadfast supporter of access to reproductive health care and trusts women to make their own health care decisions.”

To kick off its support, PPAWI has launched an online ad campaign exposing Governor Scott Walker’s misplaced priorities and cuts to women’s health. The ad features women in Wisconsin who have relied on life saving and essential health care services provided by Planned Parenthood that have been targeted by Governor Walker’s political agenda. In addition, to having a strong online presence PPAWI will be in communities all over Wisconsin working to elect candidates who will work to restore and protect women’s health care access and rights. By Election Day on June 5, PPAWI and dedicated advocates and volunteers will have made hundreds of thousands of voter contacts to get out the vote for women’s health champions through the use of mail, phone, and door-to-door canvasses and e-advocacy.

“Wisconsin women cannot wait another three years and sustain additional restrictions on our health and rights under Governor Walker,” said Atkinson. “Interfering with women’s access to cancer screenings, birth control and sex education is just the start of Walker’s political agenda. Walker’s opposition to birth control and abortion even in the case of rape, incest and if a woman’s life is at risk is the driving force behind his women’s health agenda.”

Since taking office in January of 2011, we have seen unprecedented political activity limiting women’s rights and health care access. Despite rising poverty rates and increasing numbers of the uninsured, Governor Walker and the Republican legislative majority eliminated funding for thousands of women receiving breast and cervical cancer screenings, birth control and STD/HIV testing and treatment at Planned Parenthood of Wisconsin. The Republican budget eliminated funding for colposcopy services, advanced cervical cancer screening, which helped uninsured women detect cervical cancer. These efforts needlessly put women’s health and lives at risk and will cost Wisconsin taxpayers millions of dollars.

Governor Walker continued to show his true priorities by signing every anti-women’s health bill that came to his desk in secret without notice including, SB 237, the repeal of comprehensive sex education standards; SB 92, a ban on private insurance coverage of abortion; Act 217, criminalization of abortion care in Wisconsin; and Act 219 a repeal of women’s pay equity protections.

“Politicians like Governor Walker need to be sent a message that is loud and clear- stop playing politics with women’s health,” concluded Atkinson. “Women have been watching and Planned Parenthood Advocates of Wisconsin will be working to ensure that women will be voting on June 5 to recall and replace Governor Walker.”