October 11, 2011

Planned Parenthood Advocates of Wisconsin Applauds Assembly Leaders Standing up for Women’s Health
Representatives introduce bills that reverse unprecedented attacks on women’s health and women’s health providers in Wisconsin.

Madison , WI - Today leaders in the Assembly worked to reverse Governor Walker and his leadership’s unprecedented attacks on women’s health by proposing to restore programs that enhance women’s health care access. At a time when people need greater access to affordable health care services, the Walker administration has instead eliminated funding for nonprofit health care providers like Planned Parenthood and has proposed eliminating health care access for thousands more Wisconsinites through cuts to BadgerCare. Despite these attacks, Planned Parenthood has continued providing health care to those most in need and welcomed today’s proposal by leaders in the Assembly to restore women’s health programs.

The bills introduced today include:

1. A resolution highlighting the importance of comprehensive women’s health, including the critical role birth control access plays, in the overall health of our communities 
2. A bill to restore the state family planning program, ensuring that essential community providers like Planned Parenthood can continue to serve patients 
3. A bill to protect the cost effective Medicaid family planning program

“The legislation introduced today by Representatives Donna Seidel (D-Wausau), Chris Sinicki (D-Milwaukee), Kelda Roys (D-Madison) and Chris Taylor (D-Madison) reverse the damage that has been done to women’s health access over the last 10 months,” said Tanya Atkinson, PPAWI Executive Director. “Planned Parenthood commends these lawmakers for putting the health needs of Wisconsin’s women and families first. These leaders have shown that they understand how critical basic health care access is for every Wisconsin community.”

Helping women plan and space their pregnancies is not only good for women’s health, it is good for the state’s bottom line. Each public dollar invested in family planning saves the state and federal government $4 that would otherwise be spent on medical care and other social services for women who become unintentionally pregnant.

“While the Walker Administration and his legislative leaders have abandoned Wisconsin families during their time of need, Planned Parenthood of Wisconsin is here for all those in need of affordable reproductive health care, said Atkinson. “Through the leadership of Representatives Seidel, Sinicki, Roys and Taylor, Planned Parenthood looks forward to enhancing women’s health and building on our 75 years of keeping communities safe, healthy and strong.”