For Immediate Release: May 31, 2007

Media Contact: Andrea Gage
414-213-3717 (cell)

Assembly Leadership Moves to Kill Compassionate Care for Rape Victims Bill
Bill assigned to committee led by anti-birth control extremist

Madison- In a move that has outraged rape survivors, victims' advocates and health care supporters, Assembly Majority Leader Mike Huebsch (R-La Crosse) today assigned the Compassionate Care for Rape Victims Bill to the Assembly Judiciary and Ethics Committee, chaired by an outspoken opponent of women's health, State Representative Mark Gundrum (R-New Berlin). Planned Parenthood Advocates of Wisconsin (PPAWI) condemns the maneuver, calling it an attempt to kill this important bill by referring it to a committee chaired by a legislator who is opposed to birth control.

The Compassionate Care for Rape Victims Bill would ensure that rape victims learn about emergency contraception, or EC, in every Wisconsin hospital emergency room and receive the medication upon request to prevent pregnancy following an assault. The state Senate overwhelming passed the bill on a bipartisan vote of 27 to 6 earlier this month.

"This bill handily passed in the Senate for an important reason—the people of Wisconsin have communicated loud and clear that they want to see rape victims receive compassionate care. It is a travesty that Assembly leadership is playing political games with this important issue by giving into the demands of Pro-Life Wisconsin and handing this bill over to an outspoken opponent of birth control who is extremely unlikely to ever schedule the bill for a public hearing," said PPAWI Public Policy Director Chris Taylor. "It is a mockery of the democratic process."

Pro-Life Wisconsin (PLW) is the only group lobbying in opposition to Compassionate Care for Rape Victims. PLW opposes all forms of birth control. Representative Gundrum has been endorsed by the group because of his opposition to all forms of birth control, and he voted last year to ban the availability of all hormonal contraceptives on UW college campuses.

"There is nothing ethical about referring a bill that seeks to improve the compassionate medical treatment a rape victim receives in hospital emergency rooms to a committee chair who is beholden to a special interest group that does not want a public hearing or a vote to pass this commonsense bill," said Taylor.

"The Assembly Leadership, led by State Representative Mike Huebsch, decided to ignore the health needs of rape victims and instead sided with a special interest group that opposes all forms of birth control pills.  In doing so, they are saying to Wisconsin women that their health simply doesn't matter. Wisconsin women should be outraged and I believe they will send a strong message to Republican leadership that they will not stand for political games impairing their health care access."

Despite this political move, PPAWI will join medical organizations, women's advocates and coalition partners from throughout the state to push this bill forward in the Legislature and highlight the extremist forces at work that stand in the way of basic and compassionate health care. PPAWI urges citizens who support women’s health care to contact their state representative and demand a public hearing on the Compassionate Care for Rape Victims Bill.

"It's time for members of the Assembly to hear what the Senate has already recognized--rape victims deserve better in our state," said Taylor. "Let your elected official know that compassionate care is the least we can do for victims of rape."

To learn other ways you can help support the effort to ensure compassionate care in our state, visit www.ppawi.org.

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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.  www.ppawi.org