Dane County, Wisconsin Board of Supervisors Passes Resolution in Support of Federal Women’s Health Protection Act

(PRESS RELEASE)  The Dane County (WI) Board of Supervisors voted to support a resolution late yesterday which urges the U.S. Congress to immediately pass the federal Women’s Health Protection Act (S. 1696/H.R. 3471)—a Congressional bill that would enforce and protect every woman’s access to safe and legal abortion care, no matter what state she happens to live in, maintaining the framework of regulations and limits recognized in Roe v. Wade.

The resolution highlights the devastating effects of a series of attacks by politicians on women’s health and safety in Wisconsin, stating that government interference “harms women’s health by reducing access to safe abortion services and to other essential reproductive health care, including contraceptive services, screenings for cervical cancer, and sexually transmitted infections.”

Said Nancy Northup, president and CEO of the Center for Reproductive Rights:

“In recent years, Wisconsin women have been under siege from politicians who seek to interfere in women’s personal, private decisions and cut off their access to safe, legal, high quality reproductive health care.  Today’s resolution lets the federal government know that Wisconsinites are standing up for their rights and fighting back against these attacks on women’s health, safety, and dignity.

“The Women’s Health Protection Act would put a stop to restrictions on essential reproductive health care advanced by politicians who feign concern for women’s health while passing laws devastating to their ability to get the health care they need from the medical professionals they trust.

“We call on elected officials all across the country to follow the lead of the Dane County Supervisors and support women’s rights, health, and well-being by urging Congress to pass the Women’s Health Protection Act.”

Wisconsin women are subject to a host of laws designed by politicians—not doctors—to choke off access to abortion and other reproductive health services—including trumped up regulations aimed at forcing reproductive health care providers out of practice, mandatory ultrasound requirements intended to shame and demean women who have made the decision to end a pregnancy, and restrictions on nonsurgical abortion procedures performed during the earliest stages of pregnancy.

The Women’s Health Protection Act—which was introduced last fall­­­­­—counts Senator Tammy Baldwin of Wisconsin as one of its primary sponsors, as well as Sen. Richard Blumenthal, Rep. Judy Chu, Rep. Lois Frankel and Rep. Marcia Fudge.  The Women’s Health Protection Act also boasts 34 Senate sponsors and 108 sponsors in the House—including Representatives Gwen Moore (D-WI) and Mark Pocan (D-WI)— and two other localities have already publically  expressed their support for Congressional passage:  Austin (TX) and San Francisco (CA).