“Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker did nothing to refute the idea that Republicans are waging a ‘war on women’ late last week when he quietly signed three controversial bills that limit access to abortion services and sex education and repealed the state's Equal Pay Enforcement Act, on the eve of the holiday weekend. Walker signed the bills on Thursday but did not officially announce the move until Friday, when his office released a list of 51 bills the governor signed in those two days. Democrats have already blasted Walker and his fellow Republicans in the Legislature for advancing policies they say perpetuate a nationwide trend targeting women's reproductive rights.
“The first of a series of provocative bills places a ban on abortion coverage—aside from cases of rape, incest or medical necessity —in state health insurance policies obtained through a health insurance exchange, which will be created through the federal health care overhaul law in 2014. While opponents stress the regulation could make it difficult for some low-income women to obtain the procedure, it's perfectly legal; the federal law allows states to prohibit abortion coverage through the exchange.
“Far more contentious is a measure requiring women seeking an abortion to have one-on-one medical exam and consultation with a doctor alone, away from friends and family, so the doctor can determine whether someone is pressuring the woman to undergo the procedure. Physicians who break the law could be charged with a felony…
“In what was perhaps his most surprising move, Walker signed a bill repealing the state's 2009 Equal Pay Enforcement Act, which made it easier for victims of wage discrimination to have their day in court. The law allowed individuals to plead their discrimination cases in the less costly state circuit court system, rather than just in federal court, a provision the newest legislation rolled back. Jeff Hynes, the president of the Wisconsin Employment Lawyers Association, told the Journal Sentinel the changes sends a signal to employers that mistreat their workers that they "can get away with it every time." -Scott Walker Quietly Signs Anti-Abortion Measures, Repeals Equal Pay Act, Ahead of Easter Weekend
