In 2018, Gov. Tony Evers campaigned on a promise to restore funding for Planned Parenthood. 

The Republican-controlled Legislature in 2019, when Evers proposed his first budget, quashed an expansion of the Affordable Care Act, essentially nixing Evers' Healthy Women, Healthy Babies initiative. 

According to Britt Cudaback, communications director for Evers, the initiative included increasing funding for the Women's Health Block Grant and removing restrictions imposed by Republicans that resulted in healthcare providers, such as Planned Parenthood, losing their federal Title X funding, which covers family planning and other services. 

In his 2021-23 budget, Evers put the initiative back in play. Again, the changes were blocked.

In 2022, though, Evers allocated a small portion of federal COVID-19 relief dollars, about $2.4 million, to Planned Parenthood clinics throughout the state. Of that, $1.4 million was divided among individual clinics and about $1 million was given to the broader statewide organization.  

That funding moves this one to a Promise Kept. 

In 2018, Gov. Tony Evers campaigned on a promise to restore funding for Planned Parenthood. 

The Republican-controlled Legislature in 2019, however, quashed an expansion of the Affordable Care Act in the state's biennial budget, essentially nixing Evers' Healthy Women, Healthy Babies initiatives. 

Among other measures, that proposal would have provided state funding to organizations such as Planned Parenthood. We rated the promise Stalled.   

In his 2021-23 budget, the governor's "Healthy Women, Healthy Babies" initiative to improve women's health and birth outcomes is back in play. 

Evers' communications director Britt Cudaback said the initiative includes increasing funding for the Women's Health Block Grant and removing restrictions imposed by Republicans that resulted in healthcare providers, such as Planned Parenthood, losing their Title X funding. 

The Title X Family Planning Program is a federal grant program that provides comprehensive family planning and related preventive health services. 

With the budget before the Legislature, the future of this provision remains uncertain at best and we moved this promise to In the Works in 2021.

In 2022, Evers allocated a small portion of federal COVID-19 relief dollars to Planned Parenthood clinics throughout the state. Evers gave Planned Parenthood in Wisconsin $2.4 million in COVID-19 relief money. Of that, $1.4 million was divided among individual clinics and about $1 million was given to the broader statewide organization.  

The grant to Planned Parenthood of Wisconsin is aimed at reducing health inequities that have been exacerbated by the pandemic, not to pay for abortions, a leader within the organization said. That funding moves this from In the Works to Promise Kept. 

Gov. Tony Evers' campaign website included a pledge to expand funding for Planned Parenthood, reversing course from his Republican predecessor.

In Evers' first budget after winning the election, that promise is baked into the assumption that Wisconsin will accept additional Affordable Care Act funding.

"By accepting federal funds to expand Medicaid, we will bring Wisconsin's federal tax dollars back into our state and draw down $1.6 billion in new funds that we can reinvest in initiatives that will improve the health and well-being of all Wisconsinites," Evers spokeswoman Melissa Baldauff said in an email. "That includes the Healthy Women, Healthy Babies initiatives, which includes funding Planned Parenthood."

But the budget committee in the Republican-run Legislature has stripped out the ACA expansion, leaving a $1.4 billion gap between their plan and Evers' budget. That leaves additional spending like that for Planned Parenthood in doubt.

For now we rate Evers' promise Stalled.