Wis. Assembly passes bill limiting abortion coverage

MADISON (AP) — The Wisconsin Assembly plans to finish its work for the year on Thursday after spending the early morning hours Wednesday debating insurance coverage for abortions and sex education.

The Legislature is poised to adjourn without passing its two highest priorities coming into the year. Those are a mining bill to help create hundreds of jobs in northern Wisconsin and a measure pumping money into venture capital to help spur new business creation.

Democrats lashed out at the bills the Assembly debated Tuesday night into Wednesday morning as part of a national war on women. One bill would require schools to teach abstinence as the only reliable way to prevent pregnancy and sexually transmitted diseases. Another would ban abortion coverage from policies obtained through a health insurance exchange.