Rodriguez praises legislators who pushed bills to the floor; calls for continued action on health care in 2027

MADISON, WI—Lt. Governor Sara Rodriguez, a registered nurse and Democratic candidate for governor, released the following statement on the passage of legislation expanding postpartum Medicaid coverage to 12 months and requiring insurance coverage for supplemental breast cancer screening:

"As a nurse, I know early cancer detection and postpartum care save lives. After months of Speaker Vos blocking these bills, I'm glad a group of courageous legislators finally got this done. Expanding postpartum Medicaid to 12 months means new moms get the care they need beyond the first 60 days. And 'Gail's Law' ensures women can get the cancer screenings their doctors recommend – screenings that catch cancer when it's treatable. 

But we can't stop here. We need to protect and expand BadgerCare – Wisconsin families depend on it. We need a Wisconsin Health Care Bill of Rights that guarantees no one goes bankrupt from medical bills. And we need BadgerChoice, a Wisconsin-run public option that gives everyone a new choice for affordable health care, no matter what's happening in Washington, D.C. These bills are important steps. Next year we can finish the job. I want to thank the legislators who fought to get these bills to the floor, and I look forward to Governor Evers signing them into law."

Early this month, Rodriguez released a comprehensive health care platform that includes BadgerChoice, a Wisconsin-run public health insurance option; a Wisconsin Health Care Bill of Rights that protects pre-existing conditions and patients from surprise medical bills and medical debt; and commitments to protect and expand BadgerCare. Rodriguez has made affordable, accessible health care the centerpiece of her campaign for governor.

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Lt. Governor Rodriguez is available for interviews. Media should contact press@saraforwi.com. 

About Lt. Gov. Sara Rodriguez: 

Sara Rodriguez is a nurse, a working mom, and Wisconsin’s Lieutenant Governor. The granddaughter of Richland County dairy farmers, Sara grew up in a working-class union family. Her mom was a teaching assistant and proud WEAC member; her dad served during Vietnam and fixed phones for Wisconsin Bell. Sara worked ER night shifts to pay her way through college. She went on to respond to public health crises as a CDC intelligence officer, manage a major health care system, and run a small business — all while raising two kids and caring for her father with Alzheimer’s. Sara first ran for office because she was tired of seeing people do everything right and still fall behind. In 2020, she flipped a Republican Assembly seat in Waukesha County. Two years later, she won statewide alongside Governor Tony Evers. As lieutenant governor, she’s traveled to all 72 counties three times, listening to families, workers, and small business owners about what’s making life harder and what needs to be fixed. Sara is running for governor to lower the price we pay for health care, housing, and child care — to cut property taxes and energy bills — and to fix the broken systems holding our state back. She’s won tough races before, earned trust across county lines, and she knows how to win in Wisconsin.