MADISON–Today, the Wisconsin State Assembly passed bipartisan Assembly Joint Resolution 46, authored by Representative Robyn Vining (D-Wauwatosa), recognizing May 2023 as Maternal Health Month in Wisconsin. In response, Rep. Vining released the following statement:
“Maternal health matters, and we as a society have got to better support our moms. I am happy to see bipartisan support for something as critically important as the health and well-being of Wisconsin mothers. I held a maternal health roundtable last week to talk about maternal health, including mental health, which filled up at double capacity within a day. These women shared their hearts with me. What they shared is deeply personal—and they shared with us trusting us to push for change. ‘We are failing moms’ was a theme I took to heart.”
“Passing this resolution is important because we need to talk about maternal health, the spike in postpartum depression, postpartum anxiety, maternal deaths, the effect of mental health on postpartum health and death, and the racial disparities in maternal mortality. We know that nationwide, Black women are 2-3 times more likely to die from maternity related causes than white women, but in Wisconsin the rates are even worse–in Wisconsin, Black women are 5 times more likely to die than white women.”
“I hope we as a legislature continue to listen to the women of Wisconsin, what they need, and respond. It’s my hope we can pass the extension of postpartum Medicaid this session, a bipartisan bill with 54 Assembly co-sponsors and 16 Senate co-sponsors, and I thank Rep. Rozar for her leadership on that bill. We need each other—this life is shared. It takes a village–and that village includes moms. Forward, together.”
