Annette Ziegler: The Wrong Choice for
Electing Annette Ziegler to the
Wisconsin
Supreme Court could have a devastating impact on women's access to
basic health
care like birth control. Ziegler is backed by the extremist anti-choice
group
Wisconsin Right to Life (WRTL).
Why is Ziegler's endorsement by WRTL so troubling? Take a look at
the facts:
WRTL has been at the forefront
in trying to repeal patient
protections which require health care professionals to make sure
patients have
all the information they need to make informed medical decisions.
They
were the only group to support last session's Patient Abandonment Bill,
AB 207,
which was opposed by every major medical group in the state.
WRTL thinks women should not
be guaranteed access to the medication their doctors have prescribed.
WRTL has pushed
for a state law allowing pharmacists to refuse to fill and transfer
birth
control prescriptions and supported the actions of Neil Noesen, a
Wisconsin
pharmacist who did just that and is currently appealing the Pharmacy
Examining
Board's decision to discipline him as a result. That case, Noesen
v.
Pharmacy Examining Board, is currently pending in the Wisconsin
Court of
Appeals and could very well end up in front of the state Supreme
Court.
WRTL has also opposed a bill to allow rape victims to receive
information
about, and receive if requested, emergency contraception in hospital
emergency
rooms. The American Medical Association has indicated this is the
standard of
care that rape victims should receive. A recent study indicates that
less than
one-third of
WRTL's top
legislative priority this session is to fight an anticipated attempt to
repeal
Wisconsin's 1849 criminal abortion statute, which outlaws abortion in
every
instance (except when a woman's life is in danger) and contains strong
criminal
penalties for women and doctors. This statute would go into effect
should Roe
v. Wade ever be repealed by the U.S. Supreme Court, a result that
is not
out of the question given the changing composition of that court.
Wisconsin Right to Life's
endorsement of
Annette Ziegler indicates that she will lead the fight in repealing our
most
basic constitutional protections, instead of advancing and protecting
each
individual's rights to make personal, private decisions about his or
her health
care and life. That's why Annette Ziegler is the wrong choice for
Planned Parenthood Advocates of Wisconsin is the advocacy arm of
Planned
Parenthood of Wisconsin (PPWI). The mission of PPWI is to empower all
individuals to manage their sexual and reproductive health through
direct
services, education, and advocacy. http://www.ppawi.org
Paid for by Planned
Parenthood Advocates of Wisconsin, a 501(c)(4)
qualified non-profit corporation, Lisa Boyce, Treasurer.
Not authorized by any candidate or candidate's agent or committee.