On January 9, 2014, Kevin Kane, lead organizer for Citizen Action of Wisconsin, presented a webinar co-sponsored by Grassroots North Shore to bring advocates and activists up to date on the progress Obamacare has made. Below, you can see the powerpoint slides Kevin used for the presentation.

Here's how Walker's refusal to expand Medicaid is costing Wisconsin in human and humane terms: 120,000 citizens will be left without access to health insurance.

But that's not the only cost. See the rest of this post to learn more.

The strident Republican opposition to the Affordable Care Act (aka Obamacare) didn't just suddenly appear. It's of a piece with a long history of right-wing efforts to block, undermine, or destroy all the most vital social programs in our nation's history. This piece broadcast on National Public Radio's All Things Considered on October 7, 2013, details that history and reminds us that at its core, the Republican party is the party of a "you're on your own" mentality. There's no room for collective action to soften the edges of cut-throat capitalism, no acknowledgement that social and economic forces create mountains and valleys in what should be a level field of opportunity for all.

Listen to the piece. Read the full story.

Planned Parenthood Advocates of Wisconsin launched an ad campaign to highlight the Wisconsin legislature's many attacks on women's rights, especially health care for women. The ad urges on women to stand up against these laws and the Republicans who have crafted and passed them. Senator President Mike Ellis has used his power to shut down debate and to enable rapid passage of more than five bills restricting women's healthcare access and rights, including

• 2011 Act 32: State Budget that ended funding at Planned Parenthood for patients receiving cancer screenings, wellness exams and birth control resulting in the closure of four rural Health Centers,
• 2013 Act 20: State Budget which cut thousands of hardworking Wisconsin citizens from Badgercare,
• 2011 Act 219: which repealed equal pay protections for women,
• 2011 Act 216: which repealed medically accurate age appropriate sex education guidelines for our youth to reduce the incidence of teen pregnancy and the spread of STD’s,
• 2013 Act 37: to restrict women’s access to safe and legal abortion by adding unnecessary regulations for doctors providing abortion and additional requirements for women seeking this medical care.

See the press release for more information.

The Affordable Care Act was signed into law on March 23, 2010.  On September 23, 2010, the following guaranteed benefits,  took effect:

At A Glance:

To support and strengthen all our Wisconsin families, we need to

• invest in public education;
• help families sort through health care options;
• establish equal rights for all families;
• respect all religions in churches, mosques, and synagogues, not in government;
• reduce taxes on the middle class to give families more money to spend locally