Gov. Scott Walker signed a bill Tuesday that ended abortion coverage for state employees.
This bill, which Republicans exclusively passed in February, prohibits state employees who receive government-provided health care from getting abortions paid for, except in cases of rape and preservation of the mother’s life.
Pro-Life Wisconsin state director Dan Miller said in a statement that the group is “grateful” to Walker for signing the bill because it shows respect for those taxpayers who oppose public funding of abortion.
“Government must not force us to participate in the killing of our preborn brothers and sisters with our state tax dollars,” Miller said.
The bill’s sponsor, Sen. David Craig, R-Town of Vernon, said the bill does allow abortions for state employees if they can find another way to pay for them.
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Sen. Chris Taylor, D-Madison, has fought with other Democrats against this bill since its inception and is disappointed.
“It’s a horrible, cruel, cruel bill that will leave many families going through a really rough time devastated,” Taylor said.
Though women are able to have their abortion funded in the case of rape, they must report the crime to law enforcement, which is not something all women want to do, Taylor said.
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Taylor said Republican legislators are once again “attacking women” and their healthcare.
“Some of these legislators wake up in the morning thinking of ways to take away women’s rights and they go to sleep thinking of ways to take away women’s rights,” Taylor said.