The Republican controlled assembly in Wisconsin sent a package of anti-abortion bills to Gov. Tony Evers on Wednesday.
Evers, a Democrat, vetoed similar bills sent to him two years ago, and is likely to reject them again.
“Wisconsin Republicans were able to rush these anti-abortion bills through the legislative process, simply due to partisan gerrymandering,” said Rep. Dianne Hesselbein (D-Middleton) in a press release. “These wildly unpopular policies take personal healthcare decisions about pregnancy and give them to politicians.”
“This is a political game being played by Republicans to gin up their base,” said Rep. Lisa Subeck (D-Madison). Subeck noted that while the bills are being sent to Gov. Evers, who is bound to veto them, Republicans may still be going through with the proposal in an attempt to “energize conservatives ahead of the 2022 midterm election.”
According to the Associated Press, one of the bills “would impose criminal penalties on doctors who fail to give medical care in the extremely rare circumstance in which a baby is born alive following an abortion attempt.” Doctors claim the bill is creating a problem out of something they insist is so rare. In the rare case there is a failed abortion attempt, doctors are “ethically and legally bound to try and keep them alive.”
“This is not an anti-abortion bill,” Republican Majority Leader Jim Steineke said. “This is simply a bill that’s simply about protecting the lives of children that survive an abortion attempt.”
Another bill would ban abortions based on sex, requiring doctors to provide expecting parents information about innate conditions and additionally reduce government funding for organizations that offer abortion services. Evers vetoed this bill in 2019.
Exceptions of this bill will only be in the cases of sexual assault, incest or if the woman’s life is in danger.
A fifth bill would require doctors to tell any woman seeking a medication-induced abortion that she could still continue the pregnancy after taking the first dose. The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists and American Medical Association have criticized claims that abortions can be reversed, especially as it pertains to political threat this puts on the patient’s life.
“Even though we have seen these tactics before, it is worth repeating: abortion is healthcare. Choosing to have an abortion is a deeply personal decision that should be reserved for the pregnant person and their doctor,” said Hesselbein. “No one else should intervene in these healthcare decisions, especially not a male-dominated legislature.”
