Wisconsin Assembly-Approved Budget Would Reduce Birth Control, Cancer Screen Access, Some Democrats Say

Main Category: Seniors / Aging
Also Included In: Cancer / Oncology;  Women's Health / Gynecology;  Public Health
Article Date: 04 Sep 2007 - 3:00 PST

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The Wisconsin Assembly-approved state budget would reduce access to cancer screening and birth control because it eliminates state funding for privately owned family planning clinics, Wisconsin Lt. Gov. Barbara Lawton (D) and several Assembly Democrats said at a news conference on Tuesday, the AP/Appleton Post-Crescent reports. The budget approved by the Democratic-controlled Senate would allow the clinics to continue receiving state funds. A committee meeting to resolve differences in the budget approved by the Senate and the Republican-controlled Assembly has not considered yet the family planning differences.

According to Chris Taylor, public policy director for Planned Parenthood of Wisconsin, the elimination of funding for private family planning clinics would force 32 clinics across the state to close, cut services or raise additional private funding. The clinics provide more than 31,000 patients with cervical and breast cancer screening, sexually transmitted infection testing and treatment, and birth control, Taylor said. He added that none of the clinics, 10 of which are run by PPW, provide abortions (Foley, AP/Appleton Post-Crescent, 8/28).

Nicole Safar, policy and legal analyst for Planned Parenthood Advocates of Wisconsin, said the Assembly measure could result in Wisconsin not receiving $1.7 million in federal matching funds (Lincoln Michel, Green Bay Press-Gazette, 8/29). "This budget pulls the rug out from under Wisconsin's women, and, by extension, the economy of the entire state," Lawton said.

John Murray, spokesperson for Assembly Speaker Mike Huebsch (R), said that a group of antiabortion conservatives do not believe that state funding should go to the clinics. "They would rather see more resources put into the abstinence side rather than providing taxpayer dollars for these types of programs," Huebsch said (AP/Appleton Post-Crescent, 8/28).

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