“As governor, Tony will: Invest in preventive health programs, especially for Wisconsin women, that have been defunded over the last seven years. Having to drive four hours round-trip for a mammogram, simply isn’t acceptable.”
In both of his two-year budgets, Gov. Tony Evers proposed funding for a variety of programs aimed at keeping this promise. But Republicans rejected the vast majority of the governor's proposals to expand preventive healthcare and women's healthcare and address racial disparities.
Nevertheless, Evers was able to direct some federal COVID relief money to such programs. (The governor was able to distribute that money on his own, without approval from the GOP-held Legislature.)
For example, two grant programs announced March 30, 2022, funded at $5 million each, are intended to expand access to mental health services for children and making telehealth appointments easier to access for people without reliable internet at home.
And, as we reported on March 25, 2022, Evers gave Planned Parenthood of Wisconsin $2.4 million in COVID relief money. It was earmarked for services aimed at supporting organizations that work to eliminate disparities in health, child development, education and other areas, not to pay for abortions, the organization said.
Of that amount, $1.4 million was split between individual clinics and about $1 million was given to the broader statewide organization.
Funding for Planned Parenthood had been cut under Gov. Scott Walker in 2016.
Since the end-result is a smaller pool of money than Evers intended, we rate this Compromise.
As a candidate for governor, Tony Evers promised to invest in preventative health programs that faced cuts under Republican leadership.
Evers emphasized that restoring the funding would benefit Wisconsin women.
In his 2019-'21 budget, he proposed spending nearly $28 million to expand access to women's health care and reduce infant mortality rates.
One of the key goals of Evers' plan -- dubbed "Healthy Women, Healthy Babies" -- was to create a state-run infant mortality prevention program. Additional aspects included expanding health coverage for mothers insured under Medicaid and increase grant funding for programs providing cancer screenings and testing for sexually transmitted infections.
Republicans opposed Evers' $28 million plan in part because it would allow Planned Parenthood to receive federal funding for family planning services. Republicans also rejected the governor's efforts to expand Medicaid and access $1.6 billion in federal funding.
They did keep a keep the governor's initiative to increase funding for the Well Woman Program, which provides uninsured and underinsured women between 45 to 65 with breast and cervical cancer screening services. Additionally, Republicans kept a minority health grant.
As for Evers' infant mortality program, Republicans added five staff positions for the program, but the move was vetoed because the governor believed there were staffing shortages for other health priorities.
Overall, Republicans agreed to allocate $588 million worth of state spending on health care programs over the next two years.
But, much of Evers' initiatives on women's health were cut.
We rate this Stalled.