MADISON- Today, Governor Tony Evers and Attorney General Josh Kaul filed a direct challenge to Wisconsin’s 1849 criminal abortion ban in Dane County Circuit Court. The lawsuit argues that there is language in Wisconsin state statutes that conflicts with the state’s criminal abortion ban, Wis. Stat. § 940.04, and that the ban has been superseded by more recent legislation and therefore cannot be enforced.
Rep. Katrina Shankland (D-Stevens Point) issued the following statement in response:
“Everyone deserves to be able to make the decisions that are right for them about their bodies, their families, and their futures, and we each have a part to play in fighting for our freedoms. I’m proud to advocate for the rights to bodily autonomy and determination in the Capitol and in my community. I am deeply grateful that Governor Evers and Attorney General Kaul are also strongly committed to defending our reproductive freedoms, including access to safe and legal abortion. The majority of Wisconsinites and Americans are with us, and we know this fight for our futures is far from over.
“Access to comprehensive reproductive healthcare is critical, and I’m thankful that our Governor and Attorney General are using every tool they have to ensure that the people of Wisconsin can access the care they need. From consistently vetoing harmful anti-choice legislation and calling a special session to repeal our state’s criminal abortion ban to today’s announcement that they will be challenging the extreme ban in court, they have shown tremendous leadership time and time again. I commend and appreciate Governor Tony Evers and Attorney General Josh Kaul for their continued dedication to defending our rights, and I stand with them. We will not give up.”
