A bill that would repeal the 2010 Wisconsin Healthy Youth Act is being met with criticism from Wisconsin Democrats and organizations that support the act.

The bill, introduced Friday by Sens. Mary Lazich, R-New Berlin, Pam Galloway, R-Wausau, Glenn Grothman, R-West Bend, and Joe Leibham, R-Sheboygan, would repeal several parts of the act, which requires Wisconsin public schools that teach sex education to provide comprehensive, medically accurate and age-appropriate information to students. Discussion of contraceptives and some discussion of pregnancy and parenting would be repealed under the new bill.

The bill will be addressed at the Special Session Senate Committee meeting today, Grothman said.

WAWH Executive Director Sara Finger said the act requires that parents be informed if their child’s school does not teach about human growth and development. In Wisconsin, it is the school’s decision whether or not human growth and development is taught.

The act also requires teaching of safe sex measures, but also the choice to withhold from sex and how to do so effectively and safely. This education would also encourage talking to trusted adults about issues, a Wisconsin Alliance for Women’s Health statement said.

Planned Parenthood also spoke out against the bill.

“The continuation of teen pregnancy prevention efforts, like the Healthy Youth Act, is key to the health of our youth,” Executive Director Tanya Atkinson said in a statement Tuesday.

Grothman, who co-introduced the bill, said repealing the Wisconsin Healthy Youth Act would likely see a decrease in teen health risks across the state.

Grothman said he favors repealing the act because it was legislation pushed by Planned Parenthood, an organization he opposes.

“Planned Parenthood’s founders were advocates of promiscuity and racism,” Grothman said.

Some are also arguing the bill to repeal is seen as an economic threat. The Planned Parenthood statement pointed out that children born to teen mothers are nine times more likely to live in poverty. 

In 2007, more than 6,000 girls aged 15-19 gave birth in Wisconsin, according to the Department of Health Services.

“In addition, Wisconsin taxpayers spend $156 million a year to cover teen childbearing costs,” the statement said.

Atkinson said if the act is repealed, the entire state would be affected. 

Teen pregnancy is an issue with long lasting effects, particularly in future economic earnings and future participation in the economy, Atkinson said.

Grothman said he sees abstinence as an alternative to sex education when it is presented from a religious background.

“Good abstinence education requires some religious instruction. But I don’t think schools are allowed to give that,” Grothman said.

He said he was not motivated to sponsor the bill from a pro-life focus.

Finger said the effort to repeal was part of a pro-life agenda, stemming from the legislative majority who supports pro-life policies.

“Those legislative leaders are working to push an extreme anti-prevention, anti-science agenda,” Finger said.