A Very Busy Week in Review

During this extremely busy week in Wisconsin, it was easy to blink and miss something big that happened in the healthcare and abortion access policy world. Here’s a recap of this week’s moving pieces.

On Tuesday morning (6/4) WAWH proudly stood with legislative champions and advocates to support Rep. Lisa Subeck (D-78), Sen. Fred Risser (D-26) and Sen. Latonya Johnson’s (D-6) introduction of the Abortion Access Protection Act. This proposed legislation repeals Wisconsin’s 1849 laws that make performing an abortion a felony criminal offense. Unless we repeal this archaic language, the only thing in between Wisconsin and an abortion ban is Roe v. Wade. With the appointment of Justice Kavanaugh, Roe v. Wade is under serious attack.
We need to repeal Wisconsin’s abortion ban and ensure women are able to control their bodies and their healthcare decisions.

Late Tuesday, Republicans on the Joint Finance Committee (JFC) removed Medicaid expansion from the state budget. They voted against against accepting $1.6 billion in federal funding for additional healthcare investments which is needed to fund crucial programs. Under Governor Evers’ plan, Wisconsin taxpayers would save $324.5 million over the biennium and expand Medicaid eligibility to an additional 82,000 people.

JFC Republican’s actions also made deep cuts to funding for Wisconsin’s communities of color. The funding for doula reimbursement, included in Evers’ Healthy Women Healthy Babies initiative, was removed as well as funding that would have expanded postpartum eligibility services from 60 days post birth to one year. This removal of funding is indefensible; Wisconsin has some of the worst health disparities in the nation and the highest black infant mortality rates in the nation.

The very next day the Senate took up and passed along party lines a batch of bad anti-abortion bills, several not even based on reliable scientific evidence, that restrict access to abortions and impede a woman’s ability to consult with her physician and make the best decision for her and her family. What is particularly repugnant about the passage of these bills is that they were purely politically motivated. The timing on Wednesday was strategic, and meant to distract from and absorb the pushback from JFC Republicans removing Medicaid expansion and funding for crucial programming included in Governor Evers’ budget.

Even those of us that work on health policy work professionally are struggling to keep up with all the moving pieces, and this is absolutely intentional.  

Please take a moment to contact your legislators to let them know that you support Medicaid expansion in Wisconsin, access for abortion and funding for the Healthy Women and Healthy Babies initiative. If your legislator is supportive take another moment to thank them and let them know you are there to support them.

We are so proud of the legislators  that are in the Capitol working tirelessly to make Wisconsin a better place for women and families. We are all in this together so let’s keep our focus and remember to breathe!