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April 17, 2012
Planned Parenthood Advocates of Wisconsin Endorses John Lehman for State Senate
John is a Proven Champion of Women’s Health
MADISON- Today, Planned Parenthood Advocates of Wisconsin announced their endorsement of former State Senator John Lehman in the State Senate recall election in district 21 over recalled Senator Van Wanggaard. Senator Wanggaard was recalled after waging a war on women’s health care access and working families over the past 18 months. Over 19,142 citizens in his district signed a petition to recall Senator Wanggaard only 15,353 were required.
“John Lehman has been a true champion on women’s health issues,” said Tanya Atkinson, Executive Director of Planned Parenthood Advocates of Wisconsin. “We look forward to returning John’s leadership on women’s health to the State Senate.”
As a State Senator John Lehman was critical in passing the Healthy Youth Act (2010), Pay Equity Act (2009), Prescription Protection Act (2009), Expedited Partner Therapy Act (2010), Compassionate Care for Rape Victims (2007), Contraceptive Equity (2009), and John has a 100% voting record on women’s health with Planned Parenthood Advocates of Wisconsin. John Lehman also supported continued access to women’s health care programs (2009) and an expansion to include men’s reproductive health care under the BadgerCare Family Planning Program (2009). John Lehman’s work to advance common sense public health legislation and expanded access to healthcare helped thousands of women and families across Wisconsin and saved Wisconsin taxpayers millions of dollars. For every one dollar we invest in family planning services, taxpayers save four dollars.
“John has a proven record of supporting women’s expanded access to health care and information,” said Atkinson. "We will be proud to work with John again as the next State Senator from Racine.”
John Lehman is running against Senator Van Wanggaard who is being recalled. In stark contrast to John, Van Wanggaard has spent his 18 month tenure attacking women’s access to health care and information. Senator Wanggaard has voted lockstep with Governor Walker and the extreme Republican majority. Despite rising poverty rates and increasing numbers of the uninsured, Senator Wanggaard and the Republican 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. In his district alone Planned Parenthood saw 2,786 patients in 2011, yet Senator Wanggaard voted to end funding for Planned Parenthood. These efforts needlessly put women’s health and lives at risk. The Republican budget also eliminated funding for colposcopy services, advanced cervical cancer screening, to help uninsured women detect cervical cancer.
Van Wanggaard continued to show his true priorities by voting for every anti-women’s health bill that came for a vote, including SB 237, repealing the Health Youth Act; SB 92, banning private insurance coverage of abortion; and SB 306, further criminalizing abortion care in Wisconsin and inserting politics into the doctor-patient relationship. These bills, fast-tracked through at the final moments of the legislative session, were not supported by the communities they will impact. In fact, the same four conservative special interest groups were the only ones asking for these extreme bills. Senator Wanggaard has made clear that his priority is an extreme and ideological agenda.
Not only did Van Wanggaard attack women’s access to health care and information, he attacked women’s ability to enforce discrimination in pay based on gender by repealing Wisconsin’s equal pay enforcement act. Currently, women only make 67 cents on the dollar compared to their male counterparts. In addition, women pay 68% more in out of pocket costs for health care than men largely because of health insurance gaps for birth control. To erect additional financial barriers for women during an economic downturn when the public is clamoring for greater access to jobs and health care is a step in the wrong direction.
“Wisconsin cannot afford three more years of Van Wanggaard,” said Atkinson. “Again and again he has had the opportunity to listen to the women of his district and he has not. Women have been watching and women will be voting for John Lehman on June 5.”
Planned Parenthood Advocates of Wisconsin Endorses John Lehman for State Senate
John is a Proven Champion of Women’s Health
MADISON- Today, Planned Parenthood Advocates of Wisconsin announced their endorsement of former State Senator John Lehman in the State Senate recall election in district 21 over recalled Senator Van Wanggaard. Senator Wanggaard was recalled after waging a war on women’s health care access and working families over the past 18 months. Over 19,142 citizens in his district signed a petition to recall Senator Wanggaard only 15,353 were required.
“John Lehman has been a true champion on women’s health issues,” said Tanya Atkinson, Executive Director of Planned Parenthood Advocates of Wisconsin. “We look forward to returning John’s leadership on women’s health to the State Senate.”
As a State Senator John Lehman was critical in passing the Healthy Youth Act (2010), Pay Equity Act (2009), Prescription Protection Act (2009), Expedited Partner Therapy Act (2010), Compassionate Care for Rape Victims (2007), Contraceptive Equity (2009), and John has a 100% voting record on women’s health with Planned Parenthood Advocates of Wisconsin. John Lehman also supported continued access to women’s health care programs (2009) and an expansion to include men’s reproductive health care under the BadgerCare Family Planning Program (2009). John Lehman’s work to advance common sense public health legislation and expanded access to healthcare helped thousands of women and families across Wisconsin and saved Wisconsin taxpayers millions of dollars. For every one dollar we invest in family planning services, taxpayers save four dollars.
“John has a proven record of supporting women’s expanded access to health care and information,” said Atkinson. "We will be proud to work with John again as the next State Senator from Racine.”
John Lehman is running against Senator Van Wanggaard who is being recalled. In stark contrast to John, Van Wanggaard has spent his 18 month tenure attacking women’s access to health care and information. Senator Wanggaard has voted lockstep with Governor Walker and the extreme Republican majority. Despite rising poverty rates and increasing numbers of the uninsured, Senator Wanggaard and the Republican 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. In his district alone Planned Parenthood saw 2,786 patients in 2011, yet Senator Wanggaard voted to end funding for Planned Parenthood. These efforts needlessly put women’s health and lives at risk. The Republican budget also eliminated funding for colposcopy services, advanced cervical cancer screening, to help uninsured women detect cervical cancer.
Van Wanggaard continued to show his true priorities by voting for every anti-women’s health bill that came for a vote, including SB 237, repealing the Health Youth Act; SB 92, banning private insurance coverage of abortion; and SB 306, further criminalizing abortion care in Wisconsin and inserting politics into the doctor-patient relationship. These bills, fast-tracked through at the final moments of the legislative session, were not supported by the communities they will impact. In fact, the same four conservative special interest groups were the only ones asking for these extreme bills. Senator Wanggaard has made clear that his priority is an extreme and ideological agenda.
Not only did Van Wanggaard attack women’s access to health care and information, he attacked women’s ability to enforce discrimination in pay based on gender by repealing Wisconsin’s equal pay enforcement act. Currently, women only make 67 cents on the dollar compared to their male counterparts. In addition, women pay 68% more in out of pocket costs for health care than men largely because of health insurance gaps for birth control. To erect additional financial barriers for women during an economic downturn when the public is clamoring for greater access to jobs and health care is a step in the wrong direction.
“Wisconsin cannot afford three more years of Van Wanggaard,” said Atkinson. “Again and again he has had the opportunity to listen to the women of his district and he has not. Women have been watching and women will be voting for John Lehman on June 5.”