| 2007-08 Legislative Session |
Now that the 2007-08 Legislative Session is over, we are focusing on the November election. Our top goals are to elect a pro-choice president and to increase the number of pro-choice legislators in the Wisconsin Senate and Assembly so we can secure additional victories for women's health during next year's Legislative Session!
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| What a difference an election can make! As the 2007-08 Legislative Session came to an end, we can only marvel on how much has changed since the last session. In 2005-06, PPAWI stopped 24 anti-choice bills from passing the state Legislature and was unable to obtain even one vote on any of our pro-active issues. With a new make-up in both the state Assembly and Senate, PPAWI's agenda this session could not have been more different.
On the pro-active front, PPAWI helped pass Compassionate Care for Rape Victims--the first pro-choice law in 10 years! The bill passed with overwhelming bi-partisan support in a Legislature that refused to even give this bill a hearing during the previous year. PPAWI also worked to pass the Birth Control Protection Act--a bill that would ensure no woman is refused her birth control prescription at the pharmacy counter. The Birth Control Protection Act passed 19-14 in the Senate, making a strong statement about how Wisconsin senators feel about access to birth control. The Women's Health & Safety Act--a bill that would repeal Wisconsin's criminal abortion law--had a successful hearing in the Senate. The Women's Health & Safety Act is the first pro-active abortion access bill to move forward in Wisconsin's legislative history. Additionally, PPAWI was able to protect and enhance family planning funding and breast and cervical cancer screening and treatment in the state budget!
Unlike the 24 anti-choice bills we faced last year, only 3 anti-choice bills were introduced this session in the Assembly and none advanced in the Senate. The 2007-08 Session was one of PPAWI's most successful. PPAWI looks forward to strengthening support for women's health initiatives in the Senate and flipping the Assembly to a pro-women's health majority in 2008! |
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|  15 pro-choice legislators (all Democrats)
5 mixed-voting legislators (3 Democrats and 2 Republicans)
13 anti-choice and anti-birth control legislators (all Republicans) |
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|  39 pro-choice legislators (all Democrats)
5 mixed-voting legislators (all Democrats)
55 anti-choice and anti-birth control legislators
(3 Democrats and 52 Republicans)
There continues to be no Republican representatives who support access to safe, legal abortion. |
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