Lillian A. Tamayo: Gov. Rick Scott’s worst attack on women since taking office is … all of them

Gov. Rick Scott has waged an unrelenting assault on the women of Florida since he was elected in 2010. In fact, Scott has done so much harm to women that a recent survey by the Florida Planned Parenthood PAC revealed that voters concerned about his attacks can’t decide which of Scott’s actions rate as the worst.

Based on survey responses, Planned Parenthood assigned a score to some of the most harmful actions Scott has taken toward Florida women. Scott’s signing of a bill prohibiting coverage for women’s health care under Obamacare barely won out. But Scott has done so many things to roll back the clock on women’s fundamental rights and access to health care that survey respondents were unable to clearly decide the worst. In fact, of the eight attacks on women included in the survey, respondents seemed to think they were all pretty awful.

During his first year in office, Scott signed a bill requiring an ultrasound be performed on all women obtaining an abortion, whether or not the ultrasound is deemed medically necessary. Respondents didn’t appreciate that. And they didn’t appreciate when Scott slashed funding for several health-care services for women and children, including programs such as nurse partnerships for at-risk, first-time mothers, life-saving tests for newborns and vaccinations for new mothers. Nor did they like it when he vetoed $1.5 million for rape crisis centers around the state.

Over the past few years, a record number of anti-women’s health bills have been introduced and passed throughout the country. During Scott’s first term, five pieces of anti-women’s health legislation were signed into law in Florida alone. But the results of this survey make clear these voters have had enough of Scott’s attacks on women’s health.

Other topics included in the survey were vetoing nearly $1.5 million in health funding for women and children, attempting to hide a tuberculosis outbreak from the public, dramatically narrowing the current health exceptions already in law for abortion and denying women preventative care and contraceptive coverage.

With Scott up for re-election, there is a lot at stake in the months ahead – especially if you are a woman who wants to make your own personal health-care decisions.

The vast majority of Floridians, across party lines, believe that a woman and her doctor, in consultation with her family and her faith, not politicians, should be making these health-care decisions.

Florida women do not need Rick Scott interfering in our health-care decisions. Now, more than ever, we must put politicians on notice that Florida’s women need more access to health care, not less.

Lillian A. Tamayo is chair of the Florida Planned Parenthood PAC. Learn more about the Florida Planned Parenthood PAC’s Women Are Watching campaign at www.flwomenarewatching.org. Column courtesy of Context Florida.