By Reid Rosenberg
Anti-abortion and abortion rights organizations are using the 30th anniversary of the landmark Roe v. Wade case to reflect upon the progress of their groups causes. The organizations also hope to provide the public with a further awareness of the intense political and ethical controversy that continues to encompass the issue of abortion.
The state of Wisconsin has seen a trend of increasing anti-abortion support within its legislature during the past eight years, both Anti-abortion and abortion rights activists agreed.
\[In Wisconsin] we have a pro-life majority in the [state] Senate and a Republican majority in the Assembly,"" said Katherine Ribnek, communications director of Pro-Life Wisconsin.
Since 1995, there have been 10 new laws in Wisconsin that act in some way to restrict women's reproductive rights, according to Deborah Lukovich, executive director of National Abortion and Reproductive Rights Action League Wisconsin.
""People do not realize the sheer number of bills and legislation that have passed that put very restrictive barriers on people having abortions,"" Lukovich said. ""The Institute for Women's Policy Research published reports called 'Status of Women in Various States' and they did one on Wisconsin. We ranked 48th in the nation when it comes to access for reproductive health care.""
NARAL Pro-Choice America did its own state-by-state review of reproductive rights. Wisconsin received an ""F"" in this report, a grade that the state has received consistently in the NARAL Pro-Choice America annual report.
The organization said the grade can be attributed to Wisconsin legislators whose legislation has left only five clinic-based abortion providers in the entire state. Ten years ago, there were more than three times that many clinic-based providers in Wisconsin.
Pro-Life Wisconsin, on the other hand, supports the recent trend that abortion rights laws have taken in the state of Wisconsin.
""I have documented to the leaders the political successes that we have seen in the elections in Wisconsin,"" said Peggy Hamill, who is the state director of Pro-Life Wisconsin and currently leading a delegation marching in Washington, D.C., today. ""We have over 200 people from Wisconsin that have come out here, including some UW-Madison students. Tomorrow we will be marching and rallying from the Washington monument to the Supreme Court steps in Washington, D.C.,""
Locally, representatives of Sex Out Loud said they support the anniversary because of the awareness it may potentially bring to students who are otherwise uneducated on the significance of Roe v. Wade to women's reproductive rights.
""We are supportive of anything that is going to further people's reproductive rights and ... sexual health,"" said Jessica Brumm, program coordinator of Sex Out Loud. ""[The anniversary] is a really important event. In our generation, we are so used to the idea of having abortion legal that we don't realize what people went through to get to it. I hope that students are aware of what is going on.""
Planned Parenthood is celebrating the anniversary with an event today at the Concourse Hotel. Keynote speakers at the event will be state Attorney General Peg Lautenschlager and Lt. Gov. Barbara Lawton.
Saturday there will be an anti-abortion rally at the Capitol sponsored by Silent No More. Silent No More is an organization of women who have had abortions and are now against the procedure.
By Peter N. Long
Today marks the 30th anniversary of the monumental Roe v. Wade US Supreme Court decision granting American women the right to choose whether or not to have an abortion.
Roe v. Wade consistently remains among the most heatedly debated social issues of the American political landscape, and is traditionally a major difference between the Republican and Democratic parties.
With an aging Supreme Court interpreting the laws of the country and a pivotal presidential election looming on the horizon, political focus has again shifted toward Roe in its 30th year. Any Justice retirements in the next few years could allow for a significant swing in power for conservatives following an appointment by President Bush and, ultimately, attempts to overturn the legislation.
UW-Madison professor emeritus of law Gordon Baldwin said, although not for certain, health issues of some of the elder members of the court will inevitably leave justice seats open.
""The money odds say that there are going to be at least one or two vacancies at the end of the term in June,"" he said.
However, Gordon Baldwin said he anticipates Bush will not want to make abortion a major issue as the election nears because it might hurt his overall appeal to voters.
U.S. Rep. Tammy Baldwin, D-WI, said the existence of the Roe decision is becoming increasingly endangered due to the persistence of Republican attempts to limit access to abortion services and stifle women's birth options.
""Now that the Republicans have control of the presidency, the US Senate and the U.S. House, I suspect the prospect grows ever greater that legislation will reach the president's desk and be signed that will continue to erode a woman's right to choose,"" she said.
Tammy Baldwin predicted that Bush will take full advantage of any opportunity to assemble a more conservative justice contingent in the Supreme Court and eventually try to void Roe v. Wade . She said she strongly supported the notion that the right of a woman to choose if and when to start a family is essential to American family life, but that if this choice were to be found unconstitutional, the power would shift from the individual to the states.
""We know right now that Wisconsin is one of the worst [states] in terms of legislation in curtailing a woman's reproductive freedom,"" she said.
Although Roe v. Wade has meant the right to choose for millions of Americans, the decision has also meant a call to action for many others. Derek Jones, representative for National Right to Life, an anti-abortion organization, cites Roe as the ""lightning rod"" for the national anti-abortion movement.
""Roe was very much a rallying point for pro-lifers from all over the country,"" Jones said. ""I would like to be optimistic and say that, someday in the next ten, fifteen, twenty years we'll see the Supreme Court reverse its decision and send this issue back to the states,"" he said.
