MADISON – Today marks the 47th anniversary of Roe v. Wade, the landmark Supreme Court decision that legalized abortion in the United States.
Statement from Tanya Atkinson, President and CEO of Planned Parenthood of Wisconsin:
“Access to safe, legal abortion hangs in the balance. Over the last several years, anti-abortion politicians in Wisconsin have proven that they will stop at nothing to push their agenda to ban safe, legal abortion.
“In the last year, we saw a wave of abortion bans pass in states like Georgia, Ohio and Alabama. This isn’t a coincidence. This is a coordinated plan to overturn Roe v. Wade and ban all abortion.
“In March, the Supreme Court will hear its first abortion rights case since the confirmation of Justices Gorsuch and Kavanaugh. The outcome of this will have enormous implications for a woman’s ability to access abortion care.
“This is especially important in Wisconsin. If Roe v. Wade were to be overturned, abortion would immediately become a crime in our state. This is not what the majority of Americans want. A record-high 77 percent of Americans say they do not want to see Roe overturned. There is no state in this country where banning abortion is popular. Abortion is health care, and people should be able to access the care they need free from shame, stigma and unnecessary barriers.
“Abortion bans threaten the health, rights and lives of people across the country. If these bans go into effect, far too many people will be left with no options at all. We must work to ensure access to health care, including access to abortion, does not depend on who you are, where you live, or how much money you make.
“Deciding to start a family, delay becoming a parent or ending a pregnancy are some of the most personal decisions a woman could make. She should be able to make those decisions without political interference. At Planned Parenthood, we trust women to make their own health care decisions, and we are unwavering in our commitment to protect access to essential, expert health care and information without judgment.”
