There are celebrations and concerns from Wisconsin’s advocates and elected officials on the one-year anniversary of the Dobbs decision.
The United States Supreme Court struck down Roe vs. Wade one year ago this past Friday, returning the question of abortion to the states.
In Wisconsin that meant going back to the state’s 1849 law that bans almost all abortions in the state.
That was a theme from abortion rights supporters who marked the one-year anniversary of Dobbs with a call to action.
“For the past year, we have been living with fewer rights than we had 13 months ago, and millions of people are being denied essential health care and personal freedoms on a daily basis,” Lucy Ripp, a spokesperson for A Better Wisconsin Together, said. “As we reflect on the one-year anniversary of the Supreme Court decision that set us back 50 years, A Better Wisconsin Together is calling for immediate action to restore abortion rights in Wisconsin and nation-wide.”
“Politicians have absolutely no place playing the role of doctors. Abortion care is health care and I, along with the vast majority of Wisconsinites, believe that safe, comprehensive reproductive care should be accessible to all women, just like it had been for nearly 50 years,” Senate Minority Leader Melissa Agard, D-Madison, said in a statement.
“Since the Supreme Court’s radical decision to repeal Roe v. Wade, we have seen women and girls in dire situations because of this ruling. We have seen young girls, who were victims of rape, forced to travel across state lines to access abortion care. We have seen women near death, experiencing sepsis with doctors in legal limbo afraid to care for their patients,” U.S. Rep Gwen Moore said on Monday. “We have seen women hustle up money to fly across the country to receive the abortion care they need. Before Roe, I was one of those women who relied on a network of middle-class women to receive an abortion in New York. I never imagined that reproductive rights would be rolled back more than 50 years.”
But Wisconsin’s pro-life supporters took time to praise the Dobbs decision.
““We celebrate the lives that have been saved post-Dobbs, and also recognize that our work is not done. More women than ever before in our state are in need of comprehensive resources and support when facing an unexpected or challenging pregnancy,” Gracie Skogman, Wisconsin Right to Life’s legislative director said. “Pregnancy help centers across Wisconsin have seen a massive increase in clients, and the need has never been greater. It is our duty as pro-life advocates to continue to ensure that mothers and their preborn children are provided with full support and resources.”
The future of abortion in Wisconsin remains in limbo.
A Dane County judge has yet to rule on a lawsuit from Wisconsin Attorney General Josh Kaul that challenges the 1849 law. That lawsuit is expected to eventually end up before the Wisconsin Supreme Court, which will by then have a liberal majority because of Janet Protasiewicz’s win in the spring.
