MILWAUKEE (AP) — Gov. Scott Walker signed legislation Thursday that cuts millions of dollars in funding for Planned Parenthood in Wisconsin, which denounced the move as politically motivated and a detriment to the 60,000 women and men it serves in the state.
One of the two bills the Republican governor signed at a faith-based counseling clinic in Waukesha requires clinics that participate in a federal program that allows them to purchase discounted drugs to bill Medicaid for the actual acquisition costs and a dispensing fee. The change will cost Planned Parenthood an estimated $4.5 million per year, according to the organization, because lower reimbursement rates are offered to clinics linked to abortion services.
Although the bill doesn’t mention Planned Parenthood by name, Democrats and others say it treats the organization differently than other clinics.
“The law is directed just at Planned Parenthood. It’s to cut our funding so we can’t provide services,” said Planned Parenthood of Wisconsin director of government relations Nicole Safar. “Legal action is certainly on the table. The law singles out Planned Parenthood.”
The other bill Walker signed at Life’s Connection prevents the state from directing any federal Title X grant money to an organization or affiliate that provides abortions. That could mean a loss of $3.5 million in federal dollars for Planned Parenthood.
Safar said her organization will compete on its own for the Title X funding when the new grant cycle comes up in several years.
Walker said the bills require the state Department of Health Services to apply for federal funding for women’s health services on behalf of “less controversial providers” and ensures that “prescription reimbursement processes are handled in a cost-based and transparent manner.”
Safar said the location of the bill signing sends a clear message about Walker’s political motivation.
“It really is disingenuous to be talking about cuts to health care at an organization that provides religious counseling, but no health care,” she said.
Planned Parenthood has operated in Wisconsin for 80 years and has 22 health centers, three of which provide abortions. The bill signing comes four years after Republicans made other funding cuts to Planned Parenthood, which the organization said caused it to close five clinics.
___
Follow Gretchen Ehlke on Twitter at https://twitter.com/gehlke
Copyright 2016 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
why do ‘fiscally responsible’ governors insist on signing legislation that results in expensive lawsuits?
if they want to make a statement wouldn’t it make more since to pass non-binding resolutions saying 'I want to control all women’s ‘rights’ and save the state money?
Well, he’s trying to make a point…just like the one on top of his head!
Yes, PP will sue and win, although Walker’s move will cost them time to undo the damage, the loss of health care to many for awhile and $ for the lawyers. IIRC based on past right wing moves in other states, a state may not single out one organization and treat them differently than other organizations providing essentially the same services. WI will likely lose this court battle. I hope WI residents like to see their tax dollars go entirely to waste thanks to the guy they voted into office.
Oddly, the press tends still to mention primarily abortion services even though only a handful of WI centers do so. Insidiously, the right’s goal is to kill off this great organization altogether as birth control, birth counseling and a host of other needed women’s services (and some services to men too) are against their ideals. Sad but true as the article notes Walker did so in the building of an organization that offers zero health care and only…prayers!
They could have recalled him, and didn’t…
He just slashed funding for prenatal care for unborn babies …
When the anti abortion people talk about caring for the unborn and bashing PP for performing abortions, why doesn’t anyone bring up prenatal care which PP provides?
Scott Walker will meet his Waterloo…