MADISON, Wis. — A right-wing group whose agenda includes outlawing birth control and opposition to all abortion, even in cases of rape or incest, has announced they are endorsing state Supreme Court candidate Brian Hagedorn. One Wisconsin Now Research Director Joanna Beilman-Dulin noted that the group, Pro-Life Wisconsin, demands candidates support the entirety of their agenda in order to receive their official support.
“Brian Hagedorn’s extremism is literally dangerous for women,” commented Beilman-Dulin. “He not only would deny women the ability to make their own choices about when to get pregnant he would also make women continue pregnancies that result from rape or could even cause their death.”
In addition to endorsing Hagedorn for the court, the group lobbies for a radical rewrite of the Wisconsin State Constitution. If adopted their amendment would have the effect of outlawing almost all forms of birth control, ban all abortions including for victims of rape and when the mother’s life is endangered. Analyses of similar efforts in other states suggest the changes would likely ban in vitro fertilization, stem cell research and could even result in police investigations of miscarriages.
Hagedorn’s anti-women’s health care extremism is not new. While a law student, Hagedorn maintained a weblog on which he wrote extensively on issues and legal decisions by courts. Among his rants he denounced the U.S. Supreme Court decision protecting abortion rights as “ridiculous” and should be overturned and he even suggested that it is not appropriate to give rape victims the morning- after pill to prevent pregnancy.
He also opined that he, “hates Planned Parenthood” and that it is a “wicked organization.” Despite his bias, Hagedorn has not said he would recuse himself from cases involving Planned Parenthood.
Adding to concern over Hagedorn’s positions on women’s health is his view of the courts as a place to advance political agendas he supports. When he worked as Scott Walker’s lawyer in the governor’s office, Hagedorn explicitly urged people to vote for a conservative judicial candidate because it would help advance Walker’s political agenda.
Beilman-Dulin concluded, “Brian Hagedorn’s beliefs that women should not be able to control their own bodies and that the Wisconsin Supreme Court can be used to impose a political agenda are not only extreme but dangerous.”
