For Immediate Release:

January 23, 2008

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

Assembly Leadership Abandons Rape Victims, Stalls Crucial Bill Again
Speaker Mike Huebsch Plays Political Games with Lives of Most Vulnerable Patients

Madison, WI- The Assembly today overwhelmingly voted to pass the Compassionate Care for Rape Victims Bill (Assembly 377/Senate Bill 129) on a vote of 61 to 35 under the strong, bipartisan leadership of its two Assembly cosponsors, Rep. Terry Musser (R-Black River Falls) and Rep. Mark Pocan (D-Madison). This is the second floor vote on the bill since its initial adoption in a 56 to 41 vote last month in the Assembly. At that time, Assembly Majority Leader Mike Huebsch (R-West Salem) objected to the immediate advancement of the bill, delaying the final vote until today. Once again, Huebsch orchestrated another delay of the bill’s ultimate enactment, by objecting to the messaging of AB 377 to the Senate for its concurrence on the bill, further stalling final passage of the bill until the end of February. The senseless move stunned rape survivors and victims’ rights advocates who were present for the vote today in hopes that this bill would finally become law.

“We condemn the Republican leadership for once again senselessly delaying the advancement of AB 377 so that rape victims can receive the compassionate care they deserve,” said Chris Taylor, public policy director for Planned Parenthood Advocates Wisconsin (PPAWI).

In one particularly troubling exchange, Rep. Huebsch exclaimed that rape victims should just go to a neighborhood pharmacy and not the hospital emergency room if they want compassionate care. Huebsch voted against the bill for the second time.

“Huebsch’s failure to acknowledge that rape is a brutal crime that should be properly cared for by medical professionals in a compassionate and timely manner should alarm and trouble his constituents and the people of this state,” stated Taylor.

While American Medical Association guidelines promote increased access to EC for rape victims, a recent Compassionate Care for Rape Victims Coalition study showed that only one-third of Wisconsin hospitals currently provide EC to rape victims on an unconditional basis.

Over 300,000 rapes are reported nationwide each year, with 25,000 pregnancies and 16,000 abortions as a result. EC could prevent 90 percent of those pregnancies if it was widely dispensed.

The state Senate passed the bill on a bipartisan vote of 27 to 6 in May 2007, and 82 percent of Wisconsin voters back this bill as indicated in a recent poll. The bill has also had strong support throughout the legislative process from the medical community, advocates and rape survivors. No hospital opposed the bill. The only opposition came from two anti-birth control groups and a handful of physicians who oppose contraceptives.

“The people of Wisconsin should be outraged by these political games,” said Taylor. “We encourage concerned constituents to call their representatives and let them know that in Wisconsin, we believe that all rape survivors deserve humane, compassionate care. It’s time for the Assembly leadership to realize that a woman’s health matters.”

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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