Wisconsin NOW Dressing Up to Take Action Against SB 201 and SB 202

Take Action

On Tuesday, Nov. 12, members of the the Wis. chapter of the National Organization for Women will be donning their best Mad Men outfits and joining supporters of NARAL Pro-Choice Wisconsin and Planned Parenthood Advocates of Wisconsin to remind legislators that their outdated policies on women’s health belong in a different era.

This morning, Republicans in the Senate Health and Human Services Committee advanced two bills which, if passed, will pose serious restrictions on family planning in Wisconsin. The first bill, SB 201, is a ban on sex-selective abortions – a transparent attempt by anti-choice activists and legislators to exploit the issue of son preference to advance their anti-choice agenda. NOW members know that sex discrimination will never be solved by banning abortion.

The second bill, SB 202, would deny coverage for abortion services for public workers, continuing the trend of robbing Wisconsin workers of their most basic rights. The bill also creates an exemption for religious employers and institutions that would allow them to refuse to provide contraceptive coverage for their employees. This exemption is appalling. This is 2013 – not 1962. Women shouldn’t have to worry that their boss might not approve of their birth control.

What you can do:

  1. Contact your legislators and ask them to vote against SB 201 and SB 202.
  2. Join us at the Capitol on Tuesday at 11 am. Wear your best Mad Men-inspired outfit and join us in reminding anti-choice lawmakers that their attacks on reproductive rights are from another era and have no business in 2013.
  3. Take action in your community. If you’re interested in taking a stand but can’t make it to Madison, reach out to us and we’ll try to connect you with other activists in your area. There’s already talk of an action taking place in Milwaukee on Tuesday. Let us know if you’re interested in getting involved.
  4. Spread the word. Tell your friends and family about what’s happening to women and families in Wisconsin and encourage them to take action, too. 
  5. Follow Wisconsin NOW on Facebook for the most frequent updates on this legislation. You can also keep checking back here for news.