Republicans on a state Assembly committee approved a plan Tuesday that would cut off a stream of federal funding for Planned Parenthood clinics in Wisconsin.
The bill would have the state apply for Title X grant money for low-income men and women and not allow for any of the funds to be awarded to organizations that provide abortions.
Rep. Joe Sanfelippo, R-New Berlin, said that under the plan, women would still have access to health care through local public health departments and other organizations.
Stay informed on the latest news
Sign up for WPR’s email newsletter.
“We’re opening this up from a sole source, single entity having run over these funds all these years and opening up the ability for several hundred other clinics to be able to partake in some of this federal funding,” he said.
But Democrats accused Republicans of hurting women in the name of a political vendetta against Planned Parenthood. Rep. Debra Kolste, D-Janesville, said it was unrealistic to expect other entities to handle the influx of patients that Planned Parenthood had taken care of for years.
“We are creating a desert of access for so many women in this state,” she said.
The plan passed along party lines in a 7-4 vote and heads next to the full Assembly.
Editor’s Note: This article was originally an Associated Press story. It has since been replaced with reporting by Wisconsin Public Radio.
Wisconsin Public Radio, © Copyright 2024, Board of Regents of the University of Wisconsin System and Wisconsin Educational Communications Board.
