Supervisor Wagon introduced a budget amendment on Oct. 27, 2025, that would remove funding for two reproductive health nurse navigator positions in Public Health Madison and Dane County, returning $180,500 to the county budget.

The amendment prompted extended discussion about what the nurse navigators do, who they serve and whether other providers could absorb their work. Sarah Hughes, maternal child health supervisor at Public Health Madison and Dane County, told the committee the two positions are the only nursing roles in the reproductive health navigator program and that the program began in June 2023. "So far in 2025, we've had 141 individual encounters," Hughes said, and she said the program is on pace for its busiest year yet. She said nearly half of clients are under 18 and that the nurses provide a range of services from options counseling and contraception access to arranging same‑day clinic visits and transportation.

Karl (director of community health), who identified himself as supporting the program area, said the nurse navigators help link clients to perinatal home‑visiting and STI testing work and argued the program advances equity. "Every dollar that's invested is about a $5 return, nationwide, almost $5 return," he said, describing the program's return on investment and cross‑referrals within the health department.

Supervisor Wagon, the amendment's sponsor, framed his motion in moral terms. "I believe that abortion is murder," he said, adding that taxpayer dollars should not force people to violate their consciences. He said nonprofit alternatives exist that provide parenting support and that the county should not fund services he believes enable abortion.

Other supervisors pushed back. Supervisor Yang called the amendment "very ignorant" and said nurse navigators and organizations such as Planned Parenthood do more than abortion services, citing testing, education and prevention work. Chair Miles and multiple supervisors emphasized staff presentations that the program provides standard, evidence‑based public health services; after a county supervisor asked, Hughes confirmed the program's activities are empirically supported.

No formal vote on the amendment took place at the Oct. 27 meeting. Chair Miles told the committee, "we're not voting tonight," indicating the amendment will be considered later in the budget process.

Discussion primarily focused on program scope, demand and alternatives if the positions are cut. Staff repeatedly said they had not found an equivalent service elsewhere and that nurse navigators sometimes spend many hours with individual clients, while other cases are brief contacts by phone or text. Committee members also asked whether the program serves equity goals; the director of community health said it does, identifying outreach to gap communities and linking clients to services as central functions.

The committee did not take action on the amendment at the meeting. The budget item remains subject to further committee review and future votes as part of the county's budget process.