Lawmakers in the Wisconsin State Assembly. (Photo: WRN)
The state Assembly has approved a bill that would ban state employee health plans from covering elective abortions.
State Representative Andre Jacque (R-De Pere), a sponsor of the legislation, argued it’s intended to prevent public funds from being used to pay for an abortion. The De Pere Republican noted that federal programs do not cover abortions, nor does Medicaid. “This is really making sure that…the state taxpayers are not paying for elective abortions,” he said.
During an emotional debate on the Assembly floor, Mt. Horeb Democrat Sondy Pope accused Republicans of interfering in a private medical decision, and warned it could deny an option to women who have been told they will miscarry a pregnancy. “Just because you’re an elected legislator does not make you God,” she said. “You don’t know every situation, you don’t know every circumstance.”
The bill would include exemptions for cases involving rape, incest, or that are found to be medically necessary. It passed on a 61-35 vote and now heads to the Senate.