This Just In ...

For Immediate Release

March 2, 2011

Contact: Matt Sande, Director of Legislation, (262) 796-1111, cell (262) 352-0890
 

Governor Walker’s budget respects
consciences of Wisconsin taxpayers

Governor Walker’s 2011-2013 biennial budget bill eliminates family planning funding under the
Title V Maternal and Child Health program, repeals a current law mandate forcing public and
private health insurers to cover contraceptives and removes men aged 15-44 from the Medicaid
Family Planning Waiver Program. Matt Sande, Director of Legislation, offered the following
reaction:

“We applaud Governor Walker for making the following common sense budget decisions that
respect the consciences of Wisconsin taxpayers:

As it confronts an over $3 billion structural deficit, the state of Wisconsin can no longer afford the
controversial business of “family planning.” All money is fungible. Family planning funds free up
resources within receiving organizations to engage in the abortion business. Confidential family
planning services also include the provision of abortifacient hormonal contraceptives, such as the
morning-after pill and the patch, to adults and minor children. Rather than throw money at
organizations that perform or refer for abortion, family planning funds should be eliminated to help
balance the state budget. Governor Walker’s budget proposal makes a good start toward this end by

eliminating the Title V (Maternal & Child Health) family planning program. Planned Parenthood of
Wisconsin, the state’s largest abortion provider, annually receives over $2 million in Title V state and
federal matching funds. Polls consistently demonstrate that Americans are opposed to taxpayer
funding of abortions.

The Governor’s budget also repeals an onerous current law mandate forcing public and private health
plans to cover contraceptive drugs and devices. Under this mandate, contraceptives are defined as
drugs or devices approved by the FDA to “prevent pregnancy.” Pregnancy is not a disease. The
government should not force private and public health insurers – and the policy holders (businesses
and individuals) who are paying for this expansion through increased premiums – to cover drugs and
devices that are purely elective. The question is who should be responsible for these choices. It should
not be Wisconsin taxpayers, many of whom are medically and morally opposed to birth control.

Finally, the Governor’s budget removes men aged 15-44 from the Medicaid Family Planning Waiver
Program. This state/federal program provides free, taxpayer-funded birth control to 15, 16 and
17-year-old boys and girls without their parents’ knowledge or consent. This undermines parental
authority in the sensitive area of teen sexual health and increases underage pregnancy, abortion, and
sexually transmitted diseases by encouraging sexual promiscuity. We thank Governor Walker for
removing boys from this program, and we encourage the Wisconsin Legislature to also remove minor
girls by requesting a federal waiver to raise the program’s minimum eligibility age from 15 to 18.”