Wisconsin Democrats challenge Republicans for refusing to support abortion, voter referendum
Doubling down on their extreme, anti-choice agenda, Republicans have already promised to reject Governor Evers’ Special Session next Tuesday, which would give Wisconsinites the opportunity to vote on the state’s archaic restrictions on abortion access. The stakes are high this November with protecting abortion access on the ballot and a majority of Wisconsinites opposed to restricting abortion access.
The proposed session would aim to create a direct process for voter referendums in Wisconsin and establish a pathway to repeal the archaic and restrictive 1849 abortion ban.
Republicans in the legislature previously refused Gov. Evers’ appeal this summer to overturn the pre-Civil War era law. Republican gubernatorial candidate Tim Michels has been silent on the upcoming special session, but over the campaign has staked out the most extreme positions against abortion, including calling the ban which contains no exceptions for rape or incest “an exact mirror” of his position and saying that he will not “soften” his stance on it.
“When we lost our reproductive rights back in June, the Republican legislature could have taken action to repeal Wisconsin’s cruel abortion ban from 1849. Instead, they chose to do nothing.”
Lieutenant Governor Nominee Representative Sara Rodriguez: “I sit here as a nurse, a public health nurse. And I have worked nationally and internationally. And I know what it looks like when women and other pregnant people do not have access to reproductive health care. Governor Evers and I are the only candidates for governor and lieutenant governor who are pro choice. And as a healthcare professional, as a clinician, I know that these are real people’s lives that we are talking about. You know, as your Lieutenant Governor, I will make sure that we will continue to fight to make sure that people in Wisconsin can make their own reproductive health care decisions without the interference of politicians. This is the moment for Republicans to do the right thing. We want to update the Constitution and let people have more of a say in what happens in Wisconsin. Governor Evers and I think anytime we’re listening to the people, that is the right thing to do, and the better their voice is represented.”
State Treasurer Sarah Godlewski: “Our government is of the people, by the people, and for the people. Yet, when it comes to reproductive rights, this is simply not true here in Wisconsin. Here are the facts: a majority of Wisconsinites did not want Roe v. Wade overturned. In fact, the Marquette poll showed 65% of Wisconsinites believe abortion should be legal. When we lost our reproductive rights back in June, the Republican legislature could have taken action to repeal Wisconsin’s cruel abortion ban from 1849 that took away a woman’s right to make her own health care decisions. This antiquated law that bans abortion with no exceptions for rape or incest. A law that puts doctors in jail. This is extreme. But the Republican legislature did nothing to stop it.”
State Senator Kelda Roys: “People’s health is in jeopardy today. And I knock on doors all over the state and it’s what I hear consistently from voters of all ages, races, everywhere, rural, urban, Republicans and Democrats and Independents. They are concerned about [abortion access]. They don’t like what’s happening. And I think Governor Evers has chosen this moment, because, frankly, he has tried again and again and again, to get Republicans to listen, and to try to do the right thing for the women of Wisconsin and they have refused to do so.”
