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April 17, 2012
Planned Parenthood Advocates of Wisconsin Endorses Donna Seidel for State Senate
Donna is a Proven Champion of Women’s Health
MADISON- Today, Planned Parenthood Advocates of Wisconsin announced their endorsement of Assistant Minority Leader Donna Seidel in the State Senate recall election in district 29 over Representative Jerry Petrowski. Senator Galloway resigned abruptly after being recalled and Representative Petrowski, who has voted lockstep with Governor Walker and former Senator Galloway, declared candidacy. Over 18,511 citizens in her district signed a recall petition to replace Senator Galloway only 15,647 were required.
“Donna Seidel has been a true champion on women’s health issues,” said Tanya Atkinson Executive Director of Planned Parenthood Advocates of Wisconsin. “Donna is a proven leader and will provide the much needed change we need in the Wisconsin State Senate.”
As a State Representative and Assistant Minority Leader Donna Seidel was critical in passing the Healthy Youth Act (2010), Pay Equity Enforcement Act (2009), Prescription Protection Act (2009), Expedited Partner Therapy (2010), Compassionate Care for Rape Victims Act (2007), Contraceptive Equity (2009), and has a 100% voting record in support of women’s health with Planned Parenthood Advocates of Wisconsin. Donna supported continued access to women’s health care programs for low income women (2009) and an expansion to include men’s reproductive health care under the BadgerCare Family Planning Program (2009). Donna’s work to advance common sense public health legislation and expanded access to health care 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.
Donna was the 2011 Recipient of the Rebecca C. Young Leadership Award, the highest honor that Planned Parenthood Advocates of Wisconsin awards. Donna has been a longtime leader of the women’s health legislative work group and has been nationally recognized for her leadership in passing pro-women’s health legislation.
“Donna Seidel has been one of the most influential legislators on women’s health issues,” said Atkinson. “Donna has received national and state awards for her work on expanding women’s access to health care and information. She has been a key player in the great progress of women’s health advances in Wisconsin.”
In stark contrast to Representative Seidel, Jerry Petrowski has spent his tenure attacking women’s access to healthcare and information. Representative Petrowski has voted lockstep with Governor Walker and the extreme Republican Majority. Since taking the majority, we have seen 18 months of cuts directed to women’s health care access. Despite rising poverty rates and increasing numbers of the uninsured, Rep. Petrowski and the Republican majority eliminated funding for thousands of women seeking breast and cervical cancer screens, birth control, and STD/HIV testing and treatment at Planned Parenthood of Wisconsin. The republican budget also eliminated funding for colposcopy services, advanced cervical cancer screening, to help uninsured women detect cervical cancer. These efforts needlessly put women’s health and lives at risk and will cost Wisconsin taxpayers millions of dollars.
Petrowski continued to show his true priorities by voting voted 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. Representative Petrowski has made clear that his priority is an extreme and ideological agenda.
Not only did Jerry Petrowski 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 an ideological Republican majority,” said Atkinson. “Again and again Rep. Petrowski has had the opportunity to listen to the women of his district and he has not. Women have been watching and women who value continued access to essential health care services will be voting for Donna Seidel on June 5.
Planned Parenthood Advocates of Wisconsin Endorses Donna Seidel for State Senate
Donna is a Proven Champion of Women’s Health
MADISON- Today, Planned Parenthood Advocates of Wisconsin announced their endorsement of Assistant Minority Leader Donna Seidel in the State Senate recall election in district 29 over Representative Jerry Petrowski. Senator Galloway resigned abruptly after being recalled and Representative Petrowski, who has voted lockstep with Governor Walker and former Senator Galloway, declared candidacy. Over 18,511 citizens in her district signed a recall petition to replace Senator Galloway only 15,647 were required.
“Donna Seidel has been a true champion on women’s health issues,” said Tanya Atkinson Executive Director of Planned Parenthood Advocates of Wisconsin. “Donna is a proven leader and will provide the much needed change we need in the Wisconsin State Senate.”
As a State Representative and Assistant Minority Leader Donna Seidel was critical in passing the Healthy Youth Act (2010), Pay Equity Enforcement Act (2009), Prescription Protection Act (2009), Expedited Partner Therapy (2010), Compassionate Care for Rape Victims Act (2007), Contraceptive Equity (2009), and has a 100% voting record in support of women’s health with Planned Parenthood Advocates of Wisconsin. Donna supported continued access to women’s health care programs for low income women (2009) and an expansion to include men’s reproductive health care under the BadgerCare Family Planning Program (2009). Donna’s work to advance common sense public health legislation and expanded access to health care 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.
Donna was the 2011 Recipient of the Rebecca C. Young Leadership Award, the highest honor that Planned Parenthood Advocates of Wisconsin awards. Donna has been a longtime leader of the women’s health legislative work group and has been nationally recognized for her leadership in passing pro-women’s health legislation.
“Donna Seidel has been one of the most influential legislators on women’s health issues,” said Atkinson. “Donna has received national and state awards for her work on expanding women’s access to health care and information. She has been a key player in the great progress of women’s health advances in Wisconsin.”
In stark contrast to Representative Seidel, Jerry Petrowski has spent his tenure attacking women’s access to healthcare and information. Representative Petrowski has voted lockstep with Governor Walker and the extreme Republican Majority. Since taking the majority, we have seen 18 months of cuts directed to women’s health care access. Despite rising poverty rates and increasing numbers of the uninsured, Rep. Petrowski and the Republican majority eliminated funding for thousands of women seeking breast and cervical cancer screens, birth control, and STD/HIV testing and treatment at Planned Parenthood of Wisconsin. The republican budget also eliminated funding for colposcopy services, advanced cervical cancer screening, to help uninsured women detect cervical cancer. These efforts needlessly put women’s health and lives at risk and will cost Wisconsin taxpayers millions of dollars.
Petrowski continued to show his true priorities by voting voted 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. Representative Petrowski has made clear that his priority is an extreme and ideological agenda.
Not only did Jerry Petrowski 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 an ideological Republican majority,” said Atkinson. “Again and again Rep. Petrowski has had the opportunity to listen to the women of his district and he has not. Women have been watching and women who value continued access to essential health care services will be voting for Donna Seidel on June 5.