Today, the extremist United States Supreme Court released its formal opinion on Dobbs v. Jackson. Rep. Tod Ohnstad (D-Kenosha) released the following statement regarding the decision:
“The decision to overturn Roe v. Wade now turns the clock in Wisconsin back over 150 years, with all abortions criminalized in our state – with no exceptions to rape or incest. The Legislature had the opportunity to repeal Wisconsin’s 1849 abortion ban through Governor Evers’ Special Session; however, Republicans gaveled in and out in under 30 seconds, refusing to even debate the issue.”
Although Roe is at the top of everyone’s minds today, there are potential long term consequences not relating to abortion if Roe is overturned that must be addressed. If the Supreme Court decides to overturn Roe on the basis of abortion or privacy not being referenced in the Constitution, numerous other cases risk being struck down. Cases including Griswold v. Connecticut (birth control bans, 1965), Loving v. Virginia (interracial marriage, 1967), Eisenstaedt v. Baird (unwed couples possessing contraception, 1972), Lawrence v. Texas (same-sex sexual activity, 2003), and several other cases relating to our implied rights to privacy found within the Fourteenth Amendment.
“All these cases are now at risk with this decision. This decision is more than just an attack on Roe, it is the beginning of the attack on all kinds of our rights. I stand in support of a woman’s right to choose and with the women across Wisconsin and the nation who will continue to defend their freedoms. I will continue the fight for women’s rights, and stand up against any potential future ruling threatening our human rights.”
