Madison-The Wisconsin Department of Health Services (DHS) submitted last-minute written testimony Wednesday to the Assembly Committee on Health, Aging and Long-Term Care on administrative rules relating to prenatal care and child care services administered by the state. Modifications to DHS Clearinghouse Rule 25-004 had been requested by the committee.
Representative Chuck Wichgers, a member of the committee, issued the following statement:
“One of the responsibilities of legislative committees is to review the rules written by state agencies, whether it is the Department of Health Services, or any other agency. Today, the Department of Health Services essentially said, ‘don’t look over here – nothing to see here,’ as unelected bureaucrats, with the blessing of the governor and the liberal majority state supreme court, deleted, amended, and repealed current rules, making significant policy changes.
By changing ‘mother’ to ‘member,’ ‘father’ to ‘other parent,’ and ‘women’ to ‘persons,’ the state discriminates against families and devises a system where providers will be the new family. The concept is wrong, arbitrary, intentionally confusing, and lacks common sense. In addition, the new rules [Section 16, DHS 105.52 (3m)] give individual providers the authority to implement a care plan, allowing providers – not agencies – the ability to receive government funding with little oversight. Planned Parenthood, the largest abortion provider in the country is a provider, not an agency. State and federal government is prohibited from funding abortion.
Finally, the rule targets racial and ethnic groups, mandating that records show how the agency has ‘developed, implemented and evaluated programs specifically targeted toward … racial or ethnic group(s) and that the agency can address cultural issues, beliefs, and language.’ This is commendable if the idea is to support and not undermine and subvert our shared democratic values. These are no small issues and deserve to have public debate.
If our form of government is going to continue to exist, we need people to care enough to know who is making the rules. Incredibly, DHS turned down both private invitations from the committee chair and a legislative public hearing to discuss concerns. I am thankful to Chairman Clint Moses for holding a hearing. It highlights the result of the Wisconsin State Supreme Court’s decision to hijack the legislative branch and ignore the basic duties of the three branches of government – the separate powers we all learned in social studies class.
Legislative oversight of administrative rules must be protected by the Wisconsin Legislature, and I will use every avenue available to fight for the rights of my constituents. The Legislature is not closed to the public.”
