LEGISLATIVE UPDATE

February 5, 2008

As the State Legislature rushes toward the end of the session in mid-March, Senators and Representatives are pushing as many pieces of legislation through committees and floor periods as they can. In the last month, Wisconsin Family Action, the legislative action arm of Wisconsin Family Council, has been actively monitoring a number of bills that could directly impact families, churches and communities in Wisconsin.

Senate Bill (SB) 151/Assembly Bill (AB) 298

These bills would allow terminally ill patients to request medication from their physician in order to end their lives. Physicians would be required to comply with their patients’ requests; if a physician conscientiously objects to helping his/her patients kill themselves, he/she would be required to refer the patients to another doctor who would do so. If the physician fails to make such a referral, he/she would face disciplinary action. The Senate Committee on Public Health, Senior Issues, Long Term Care and Privacy held a public hearing on SB 151 on January 23 rd. It is currently still in committee.

SB 129/AB 377

The Chemical Abortion Hospital Mandate would force all physicians and other emergency room personnel in every hospital in Wisconsin to inform rape victims of Plan B (the emergency contraception pill that can cause chemical abortions), and administer it to a victim on her request. On January 23rd, the Assembly passed the bill 61 to 35 but used a procedural move to delay messaging the bill to the Senate for a floor vote until the next Assembly floor period.

AB 651/SB 356

These bills would completely revoke all civil statutes of limitations on childhood sexual assault lawsuits and open a three-year window for cases that were previously expired due to the current statute of limitations. Wisconsin Family Action President Julaine Appling presented testimony at a public hearing in the Senate Committee on Judiciary, Corrections, and Housing. Julaine testified against SB 356 because of the fiscal burden it could place on the current leadership, consumers, members and students of private schools, churches, camps and day-care centers who had nothing to do with the 40-60-year-old childhood sexual abuse cases this bill would re-open.

AB 697

This bill represents a compromise deal between Senate Democrats and Assembly Republicans regarding virtual public schools in Wisconsin. The bill would create an online web academy run by the Department of Public Instruction (DPI) that would offer online courses for school districts in the state.

AB 710/SB 416

These companion bills would create a state-level ban on the heinous partial-birth abortion procedure, except to save the life of the mother. The bill is opposed by abortion-proponents because it does not contain a broad health exception for the mother (which would make the ban obsolete because any health condition—emotional, psychological—would be covered under a health exception). On Thursday, January 31st, Julaine Appling provided testimony in a public hearing before the Assembly Committee on Judiciary and Ethics in favor of the ban.

AB 749/SB 398

These companion bills would repeal Wisconsin’s long-standing ban on abortions. Although Roe v. Wade effectively made the ban obsolete in 1973, if it were ever overturned on the federal level, Wisconsin would already have a ban on the books that would make abortions illegal immediately. However, if this bill is passed, and if Roe v. Wade is overturned all abortions would still be legal in Wisconsin.

AB 747/SB 400 and AB 750/SB 405

These bills are “human growth & development” bills. “Human growth & development” is the politically correct term for sex-education. AB 747/SB 400 would require school boards opting to provide abstinence-only education exclusively to notify student’s parents that their children are not receiving sex-education that would prevent pregnancy and STD’s, other than by remaining abstinent. No such requirement is mandated for school boards offering sex-ed exclusively. AB 750/SB 405 requires school boards opting to provide sex-education to teach it in all grades K-12, allow outside providers to offer the education and mandates 8 topics that must be covered (including gender stereotyping).