“I am honored to receive the endorsements of Senators Erpenbach, Miller and Risser,” stated Rep. Taylor.  “Over many years, they have been champions for our rights and for working families, women and children.  They have fought hard for our progressive values.  It has been my pleasure to work with them when I was an advocate for Planned Parenthood and as a legislator.   I am so grateful that they are standing with me in my re-election campaign,” concluded Taylor.

Senator Miller, in endorsing Rep. Taylor stated “Chris has a very bright future ahead of her in the legislature.  With redistricting, I will miss her dynamic representation of part of my district but look forward to continuing to work with her in the legislature in her new seat.”

Senator Erpenbach commented “I knew Chris would hit the ground running when she was elected.  That is why I endorsed her in her last race and why I continue to support her.  She is a dedicated, effective advocate for progressive causes and rights.  With so many retirements and open seats in the Assembly, Chris’s political and policy experience, and strategic good sense, is needed now more than ever. ”

Senator Fred Risser, the longest serving state legislator in the country, stated of his support of Rep. Taylor, “I look forward to working with Chris in both the old and new parts of our districts.  She is a bright, energetic leader who will continue to bring needed leadership in the Assembly.”

Rep. Taylor’s new district comprises her near eastside Madison neighborhood, the Isthmus, downtown Madison, pieces of the UW campus and the Greenbush and Vilas neighborhoods.  She is an attorney by training, the former Public Policy Director for Planned Parenthood of Wisconsin and the proud mother of two young sons, Sam  (5 ½) and Ben (19 mos.).

For a complete list of Rep. Taylor’s endorsements, go to  www.taylorforassembly.com.

“Unfortunately for Wisconsin women, Scott Walker and legislative Republicans have successfully stopped most medication abortion services here in Wisconsin.  Act 217, which becomes effective today, requires that women seeking medication abortion services return to the providing health center on three different occasions, undergo a physical exam, be separated from their partners for counseling, and provides criminal penalties for physicians who do not follow the dictates of Scott Walker and Republican legislators in providing health care.  This law inserts legislators into the examining room and is one of the most intrusive laws in the physician-patient relationship ever to pass in Wisconsin. 

The vagueness of this law, in addition to the significant felony criminal penalties imposed on physicians, has caused Planned Parenthood of Wisconsin, our state’s largest and oldest reproductive health provider, to suspend medication abortion services. 

Scott Walker and legislative Republicans have now accomplished a piece of what they set out to do– make abortion services, regardless of the circumstance, as inaccessible to Wisconsin women as possible.

Medication abortion is an option for women in the first 9 weeks of pregnancy, and approximately 25% of women choose this option, which no longer will be available at the three Planned Parenthood health centers that provide abortion services. 

This is indicative of what is to come from Scott Walker and legislative Republicans.  They will stop at nothing to make abortion and birth control illegal in every circumstance.  This is a sad day for Wisconsin women.”

“It is heartening to learn that a suspect has been apprehended in the bombing attack of the Planned Parenthood health care center in Appleton. I am appalled by this violent attack on our state’s largest non-profit family planning provider that provides critical health care to 80,000 men and women but I am grateful that no one was injured. I am confident that this violent attack will not stop Planned Parenthood from continuing to provide needed health care. I am honored and privileged to have worked with the incredible healthcare providers and advocates at Planned Parenthood. They risk their lives to provide access to needed health care and are the most inspiring and courageous people I know.

The derogatory and inflamed rhetoric used against Planned Parenthood by our Governor and Republicans in the legislature contribute to these kind of reckless acts. I call on Governor Walker to denounce this attack.”

###

“The Act needs to be passed and passed quickly. If Congress fails to reauthorize this important life saving legislation it will expire at the end of the year. Thankfully we have leaders like Congresswomen Moore who are fighting for women to get the protection they need,” said Taylor.

According to the 2010 National Intimate Partner and Sexual Violence Survey (NISVS) that was released by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 17.7% (390,000) of Wisconsin women in their lifetimes will be raped, 41.3% (912,000) of women will experience another form of sexual violence and 280,000 (12.7%) Wisconsin women will be stalked.

“Given these startling statistics, I am shocked that reauthorizing this important legislation is even in question,” stated Taylor. “In this time of increasing political attacks on women, from contraception access to redefining rape, I hope Republicans are not going to play politics with women’s lives and roll back legal protections victims of domestic violence need to be safe,” concluded Taylor.

Last night, the Republican majority in the state Assembly opted to spend the last few days in the most contentious legislative session in Wisconsin history waging war on women’s rights and health care.  By party-line votes, the Republican majority adopted some of the most extreme anti-women bills seen.

These bills ban any private insurers from providing abortion coverage in health care exchanges (SB 92) and repeal the Healthy Youth Act, Wisconsin’s gold-standard, in comprehensive sex education statute (SB 237).

“The Republican majority once again demonstrated that their focus is not on jobs or improving the lives of Wisconsinites, but waging a war on women and their most basic rights to make personal, private decisions about their lives,” stated Taylor.  “They are jeopardizing the health and lives of Wisconsin women with bills that take us back decades.”

Republican’s defeated Representative Taylor’s amendment to AB 154 to require private insurers to cover abortion when a woman is the victim of rape or incest, or when her life or health is threatened.

Republicans opposed another Taylor amendment to SB 237 which required that human growth and development instruction be medically accurate and removed a provision in SB 237 that teens be told that abstinence is the only reliable way to prevent pregnancy and disease, which is a medically inaccurate statement.  Birth control and condom usage are incredibly reliable methods to prevent pregnancy and disease.  Despite this, any reference to contraception or condoms were eliminated from the law, returning the focus of the sex education law back to the failed abstinence only policies that even Texas has abandoned.

“Despite the fact that no legislator in the entire chamber agreed that abstinence was the only reliable way to prevent pregnancy and disease, they mandated that our children be told medically inaccurate information,” stated Taylor.  “As a result of this irresponsible and factually incorrect approach, teens will continue to contract HIV/AIDS and other STDs at an alarming rate and they will continue to get pregnant.”

Another dangerous bill to women’s health, SB 306 is scheduled for the Thursday, March 15 Assembly calendar.  This bill dictates physical exams and specific follow up care that physicians must follow for abortion care, and provides felony penalties for physicians that do not follow the mandated follow up protocols.    The medical community, including the Wisconsin Medical Society, vigorously opposes this measure.