MADISON, Wis. — As the U.S. Supreme Court positions itself to overturn Roe v. Wade, Wisconsin legislators will convene on June 22 in a special session that Governor Tony Evers called to repeal Wisconsin’s 1849 abortion ban.

Passed in 1849, 12 years before the start of the Civil War, Wisconsin’s archaic centuries-old abortion ban has sat dormant for the last 50 years — but if Roe v. Wade is overturned, this ban could go back into effect, effectively turning back the clock on reproductive healthcare access by 173 years.

For context, Wisconsin’s 1849 abortion ban is older than the following 20 states:
  • California

  • Minnesota

  • Oregon

  • Kansas

  • West Virginia

  • Nevada

  • Nebraska

  • Colorado

  • North Dakota

  • South Dakota

  • Montana

  • Washington

  • Idaho

  • Wyoming

  • Utah

  • Oklahoma

  • New Mexico

  • Arizona

  • Alaska

  • Hawaii

61% of Wisconsinites support abortion access, and last month, Gov. Evers led a coalition of governors calling on Congress to pass the Women’s Health Protection Act.

“Wisconsin’s abortion ban is so archiac, it’s older than nearly half of the states in the U.S.,” said Tony for Wisconsin Senior Press Secretary Kayla Anderson. “If the Supreme Court overturns Roe v. Wade, reproductive rights and abortion access in Wisconsin could plummet backwards by 173 years. Rather than turn back the clock, Governor Evers is doing the right thing and fighting to protect access to abortion.”
Print Friendly, PDF & Email