Gov. Scott Walker signed legislation Tuesday prohibiting state health insurance plans’ coverage of abortions, handing state employees an uphill battle in terms of accessing the service.
Along with a slew of 64 other measures, Walker privately signed the bill which allows abortion coverage only under cases of rape, incest or medical necessity, clarifying the ambiguity of similar conditions concurrently written in the state’s health insurance plan.
Pro-life groups were quick to praise the legislation for further separating taxpayer funds and abortion services.
“Government must not force us to participate in the killing of our preborn brothers and sisters with our state tax dollars,” said Dan Miller, the director of Pro-Life Wisconsin.
State Sen. David Craig, R-Town of Vernon, a lead sponsor of the bill, noted during legislative debates that the measure would not keep women from getting abortions but merely alter who pays for them.
Meanwhile, pro-choice advocates criticized the bill as a means for Republicans to circumnavigate outwardly outlawing abortion by further restricting access financially.
“It is designed to steer a patient to continue a pregnancy rather than allowing the pregnant person to make the best
State Rep. Chris Taylor, D-Madison, argued that the measure would harm public workers who are victims of sexual assault and seeking abortion coverage by requiring them to report their assaults to police, a choice which many victims try to avoid.
"Leave these decisions to the physicians and families who are suffering,” Taylor said.
