Support an End to the Criminal Abortion Ban
Today is the 35th Anniversary of Roe v. Wade, the landmark decision guaranteeing a women’s right to make her own decisions regarding her reproductive health. How appropriate that today Representative Terese Berceau (D-Madison) and Senator Mark Miller (D-Monona) have introduced the Women’s Health and Safety Act. The legislation will remove a 158-year-old Wisconsin law that imposes jail time on women that obtain abortions. The law is so draconian that it even jails victims of sexual assault and those who experience serious health problems.
Today is the 35th Anniversary of Roe v. Wade, the landmark decision guaranteeing a women’s right to make her own decisions regarding her reproductive health. How appropriate that today Representative Terese Berceau (D-Madison) and Senator Mark Miller (D-Monona) have introduced the Women’s Health and Safety Act. The legislation will remove a 158-year-old Wisconsin law that imposes jail time on women that obtain abortions. The law is so draconian that it even jails victims of sexual assault and those who experience serious health problems.
Let’s not forget two important facts:
1. Criminal abortion laws will force women to resort to dangerous, illegal abortions.
2. Criminal abortion laws don’t reduce the number of abortions, access to health care and contraception does.
In case any of the numerous anti-choice extremists in the state legislature need those facts again:
- Criminal abortion laws will force women to resort to dangerous, illegal abortions.
- Criminal abortion laws don’t reduce the number of abortions, access to health care and contraception does.
The most extreme elements of the right wing have been trying to overturn Roe v. Wade for many years. Now that President Bush has stacked the U.S. Supreme Court with loyal right wing ideologues, this could become an unfortunate reality. In the event that Bush’s Supreme Court overturns Roe v. Wade, the heartless law from another era will be the law of the land again in Wisconsin. We need to ensure that this does not happen and that women maintain their right to make personal health care decisions in Wisconsin. This good and decent legislation should be supported and given the anniversary of Roe v. Wade, today is the best day to do it!