Madison, WI – State Representative Chuck Wichgers (R-Muskego) strongly supports pro-life legislation. In April, he was the recipient of the Pro-Life Wisconsin Legislator of the Year award. As a devout Catholic with an informed conscience he released the following statement on the upcoming pro-life legislation.
“I appreciate the hard work of my colleagues on their respective pieces of legislation that further the rights of the unborn. The bills which do not have exceptions are great pro-life bills and the bills with exceptions are technically pro-choice bills. I offered amendments to eliminate these exceptions in the Assembly Committee on Health and I cannot in good conscience support the bills without the amendments. I cannot vote for a bill that is pro-choice but is called pro-life.
“I voted yes for four pro-life bills in committee. Assembly Bill 262, which I authored, improves the induced abortion reporting in Wisconsin, and AB 528 relates to the certification of abortion
providers under the Medical Assistance program. Assembly Bill 539 prohibits discrimination in organ transplants on the basis of disability, and AB 594 provides for educational resources for families whose unborn child is diagnosed with a congenital condition. These are all totally pro-life bills.
“Assembly Bill 6 provides that a baby born alive following an abortion attempt be given the same care as any other child born at the same gestational age. The bill, however, exempts the mother of the child born alive from prosecution for a violation of or an attempt or conspiracy to violate the
requirements of the bill. Assembly Bill 6 also subjects any person who intentionally kills a child born alive after an attempted abortion to a Class A felony, with the same exception for the mother. I offered an amendment to the bill in committee because I fear for the unintended consequences of this bill should it become law. This bill erodes the equal protection that babies born alive following failed abortions enjoy under current law, s. 990.001(17). Wisconsin law must not include exceptions for the murder of born alive human beings.
“Additionally, I proposed amendments for AB 493, AB 593, and AB 595. The amendments were not allowed to be voted on in committee. I do not support the carve outs and exemptions in these respective bills. Making exceptions in pro-life legislation constitutes a patent violation of equal protection under the law. The aim of the pro-life movement is to establish equal protection under the law for all human beings, born or unborn. Life does not begin at birth, but at conception.
“I cannot vote for these bills without the amendments Wednesday on the Assembly floor.”
