A provision inserted in the state budget would prohibit UW Hospital and Clinics from funding abortions, but it's unclear whether that will stop the hospital from offering required abortion experience to doctors-in-training.

Abortions are not performed at UW Hospital and Clinics, but obstetrics and gynecology residents train at Planned Parenthood to learn about family planning, which includes the opportunity to perform abortions.

State law currently prohibits the use of public funds to pay physicians to perform abortions with few exceptions, but the new legislation specifically targets UW Hospital and Clinics. UW Hospital and Clinics is a public authority and does not receive state funding.

"We don't want abortions being conducted by the UW and we don't want to have their residents assisting in abortions at the UW," said Sen. Glenn Grothman, R-West Bend, the lead author on the amendment.

Hospital officials argue they are not funding abortions because they are conducted off-site, at Planned Parenthood, and Meriter Hospital pays for that portion of the residents' training.

Dr. Carl Getto, senior vice president for medical affairs at UW Hospital, said he doesn't know if the proposed law means they would need to stop offering abortion training.