Local Democrats joined community members in Appleton Thursday to push back against Republican plans to de-fund Planned Parenthood.
Democratic state lawmakers Amanda Stuck, Gordon Hintz and Eric Genrich stood by supporters as they told their stories. They spoke about the importance of the organization in their lives.
For Rep. Stuck, it made a big difference in the trajectory of her life. She says, "I've had experience with Planned Parenthood as a teenager, as a young single mother, and I know that access was vital, that I would not be where I am today if I had not had the support and resources that Planned Parenthood offered me."
For state representative Gordon Hintz, he said it's necessary for legislators to stand up for their constituents. He said, "We have a responsible to make clear that this is not good for our state...You saw from the advocates today that they're not going to be able to make this decision without a lot of pushback."
We reached out to the offices of representative Mike Gallagher and senator Ron Johnson, but did not receive a response by air time.
House Speaker Paul Ryan said plans to de-fund Planned Parenthood will be included in the upcoming budget.
