| Pro-Choice Legislation: |
| A Roe of Our Own |
A Roe of Our Own takes the protections of Roe v. Wade and puts them squarely into Wisconsin law so that no matter what happens to Roe v. Wade at the federal level, Wisconsin women's rights to a legal safe abortion will be protected. Wisconsin must be prepared if the right to choose is threated by a weakening of Roe or further federal encroachments. In 2007 - for the first time ever - the U.S. Supreme Court upheld a ban on a safe medical procedure. The Federal Abortion Ban criminalizes abortions considered safest for some women with particular high-risk medical conditions, even when a women's health is threatened. The Court threw out years of precendent and declared that abortion bans can ignore women's health. Wisconsin women can no longer trust the Supreme Court to protect our rights. If Roe is overturned, abortion will immediately be illegal in Wisconsin. Wisconsin has a antiquated abortion ban from the mid-1800's still on its books that carries a penalty of up to 15 years in jail for doctors who provide abortions and up to 3.5 years in jail for women who hae an abortion or attempt to perform an abortion on themselves. There is no exception for cases of rape or incest or pregnancies that risk the health of the woman. If Roe is overturned, Wisconsin's Criminal Abortion Ban will immediately go back into effect, and abortion will once again become a crime in our state. The consequences will be dire. Wisconsin needs a Roe of Our Own to repeal Wisconsin's Criminal Abortion Ban and ensure that no matter what happens to Roe v. Wade women in Wisconsin will be protected. |
| Comprehensive Sex Education |
| Bill Number: |
AB 458 |
| Status: |
9/30/09 Introduced in Assembly |
| Sponsor(s): |
Representatives Grigsby, Roys, Shilling, Berceau, Black, Kessler, Pasch, Fields, Vruwink, Turner, Soletski, Benedict, Pope-Roberts, Richards, Seidel, Danou, Pocan, Sinicki, Hintz, Smith, Bernard Schaber, Dexter, Hraychuck, Molepske, Zepnick and Toles |
The Healthy Youth Act works to ensure that Wisconsin youth receive comprehensive, medically accurate, age appropriate sex education, including information about abstinence as well as preventing unintended pregnancy and sexually transmitted infections. Giving young people truthful information about contraceptives and sexuality reduces unintended pregnancy and disease. This bill will require schools that teach sex education to do so in a responsible, comprehensive manner that includes information about both abstinence and birth control. A 2008 CDC study revealed that 1 in 4 teenage girls have a sexually transmitted infection (STI). Additionally, there are 750,000 teen pregnancies each year in the United States. By requiring age-appropriate, medically-accurate and comprehensive sex education, teens will have the tools they need to make responsible and healthy choices now, and in the future, to help prevent unintended pregnancies and STIs. This year, the teen pregnancy rate in the United States increased for the first time in over a decade. More than half of all American teens aged 15-19 years old have had sexual intercourse. Each year, almost 900,000 pregnancies occur among these teens, and 48% of all new STI cases occur among teens and young adults aged 15-24. Comprehensive sex education works. Research demonstrates that successful sex education programs employ a comprehensive approach that teaches about abstinence, but also provides critical information about preventing unintended pregnancy and disease. Responsible sex education programs that discuss both abstinence and contraception delay the onset of sexual intercourse, reduce the frequency of sex, increase contraceptive use, do not increase the number of sexual partners teens have and help protect teens from STIs, pregnancy and HIV. Healthy Youth Act Public HearingPublic Hearing in the Assembly Education Committee:
October 6 at 9:00am
at the Capitol in room 417 North, Madison To learn more about the Healthy Youth Act, check out our fact sheets:
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| Contraceptive Equity |
| Bill Number: |
Budget Bill |
| Status: |
Included in the Budget Bill & Signed by Govenor Doyle! |
| Sponsor(s): |
Sen. Lena Taylor and Rep. Cory Mason |
90% of all women use birth control at some point during their lives. However, many women are denied affordable access because their insurance covers other prescription medication but denies coverage for contraceptives. The contraceptive equity bill requires that all insurance plans covering prescription drugs include coverage for prescription contraceptives. This provision will help end gender discrimination in insurance coverage and ensure greater affordable access to contraception. To learn more about Contraceptive Equity, read our fact sheet. |
| Prescription Protection Act |
| Bill Number: |
Budget Bill |
| Status: |
Included in the Budget Bill & Signed by Govenor Doyle! |
| Sponsor(s): |
Sen. Judy Robson and Rep. Gary Sherman |
Birth control is basic health care used by over 90% of American women during their lifetimes. Yet, there have been several recent incidents of rogue pharmacists who personally oppose birth control refusing to fill women's prescriptions. This bill protects access to birth control. It ensures that no woman is ever refused her birth control prescription at a pharmacy counter in Wisconsin again. It also clarifies that birth control methods should never be included in the definition of abortion under Wisconsin law--something opponents of birth control have been trying to accomplish for years.
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