MADISON, Wis. — Today, Governor Tony Evers called a special session of our State Legislature to repeal a criminal abortion ban written into Wisconsin state law in 1849. Evers’ special session call is especially urgent, coming after a United States Supreme Court draft decision indicated the highest court’s intention to at any moment overturn Roe v. Wade, the decision protecting the right to get abortion care.
Wisconsin’s antiquated, 173 year old abortion ban could go into effect immediately should Roe v. Wade be overturned, and would render abortion illegal, even in cases of rape or incest. Today, to ensure a better tomorrow, we need our state legislators, on both sides of the aisle, to come together and protect our freedoms.
A majority of Wisconsin voters oppose overturning the Roe decision and support abortion rights. In addition to today’s special session call, Gov. Evers has been a strong defender of abortion rights in Wisconsin throughout his tenure, including vetoing numerous bills passed by legislative Republicans to try to impose new restrictions on abortion care.
Below are comments from A Better Wisconsin Together Deputy Director, Mike Browne:
“No judge, no politician, no elected or partisan-appointed official should be able to take away our right to make personal medical decisions for ourselves, or take away our ability to decide if and when we want to start a family. Governor Evers knows this, and our legislators should, too.
“Our freedom to make personal health and medical decisions ourselves is in jeopardy. Governor Evers is right to call a special session and demand legislators act to protect Wisconsinites from a 173 year law that, if allowed to stand, takes away their rights.
“Without the protection of Roe v. Wade, and with the criminal abortion ban still on the books, local clinics that are vital to our communities could be forced to close their doors for good, barring thousands of Wisconsinites from access to essential medical care.
“By punishing not only those who are in critical need of reproductive healthcare, but also the medical professionals giving them a safe choice, legislators who support the criminal abortion ban are telling Wisconsinites one thing: your body, their choice.
“Regardless of party lines, there is clearly only one right decision here: repeal the criminal abortion ban in Wisconsin.”
