Schimel Attacks Against Happ Come From Electeds with Long Anti-Women’s Equality Record

MADISON, Wis. — The five Wisconsin Republican elected officials who attacked Jefferson County District Attorney Susan Happ yesterday on behalf of ethically-challenged Brad Schimel have a long record of voting against women’s equality and supporting Gov. Scott Walker’s anti-women agenda.

“It’s no surprise Republicans who support Gov. Walker and want Republican lackey Brad Schimel in the Attorney General’s office would disparage District Attorney Happ,” said Scot Ross, One Wisconsin Now. “These GOP extremists have been in lockstep with Walker’s Anti-Women agenda and they know Brad Schimel will aid and abet these continuing attacks on the women of Wisconsin.”

“Their actions are nothing but a distraction from the real issues facing Wisconsin women, many of them created by Governor Walker and these very legislators. Brad Schimel has indicated he will continue to defend these failed policies that take Wisconsin women backwards,” added Ross.

The recent anti-women policies supported by the Republicans attacking District Attorney Happ on Schimel’s behalf include:

• As part of the 2011 budget, voted to cut funding for victim/witness services across the state and specifically cut funding for sexual assault victim services. [2011 Assembly Bill 40; Senate Vote, Assembly Vote]
• Eliminating aid to women’s health care centers, resulting in closure of five Planned Parenthood clinics and impacting over 12,000 uninsured women in small communities across the state who receive their preventive care from these centers, including cancer screenings. [2011 Assembly Bill 40; Senate Vote, Assembly Vote]
• Repealing the 2009 Equal Pay Enforcement Act, which provided stronger enforcement mechanisms for ensuring that women are receiving equal pay for equal work as well as punitive damages for pay discrimination. [2011 SB 202, Senate Vote, Assembly Vote]
• Requiring women to have a government mandated ultrasound prior to an abortion, including forcing victims of sexual assault to undergo an ultrasound unless they have reported the assault to law enforcement. [2013 SB 206, Senate Vote, Assembly Vote]
• Opposing guarantees that women could obtain birth control at pharmacies in Wisconsin and contraceptive equity for women. [2009 AB 75; Assembly Conference Committee Concurrence, Senate Conference Committee Concurrence] [Comparative Summary of Budget Provisions 2009-11, see Insurance and Regulation & Licensing sections]

Schimel, known widely for refusing to prosecute disgraced former Republican Assembly Speaker Scott Jensen, began this year by refusing to investigate local Republican Rep. Joel Kleefisch over legislation written to specifically help a Kleefisch and Walker donor to dramatically reduce his child support obligation to his ex-wife to support their three children. When asked by One Wisconsin Now to investigate the controversial legislation that would allow a multi-millionaire avoid child support payments, Schimel wrote in an email sent at 10:00 in the evening: “Why can’t a legislator press for legislation that benefits a person who has contributed to their campaign? Isn’t that the essence of representative government?”

Video of Schimel fleeing a Milwaukee reporter after being asked about his refusal to investigate is available here.