MADISON- Last night, Politico shared a leaked draft opinion from the Supreme Court of the United States in the Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization case which, if finalized, would overturn landmark cases Roe v. Wade and Planned Parenthood v. Casey. The leaked draft opinion is not a final order or opinion of the Court. The Court is expected to make a final ruling in the coming months.

Rep. Katrina Shankland (D-Stevens Point) issued the following statement in response:

“Reproductive rights are human rights. Everyone deserves the freedom to determine their futures and the rights to agency and privacy when making medical decisions. If this draft opinion is a true indication of the ruling the Supreme Court will make, it will have devastating, unprecedented, and far-reaching consequences on these freedoms and our personal liberties. Right now, it’s important that everyone understands that abortion is still legal in the United States, and Roe v. Wade and reproductive freedom are still the law of the land.

“However, Wisconsin has an extreme, over 170-year-old ban enshrined in our state laws that would make abortion at any stage of pregnancy illegal if Roe vs. Wade were fully overturned, and we’re not the only state. Several other states have similar bans on the books, and there has been a nationwide trend of unprecedented legislative attacks on reproductive freedom in recent years. It is crucial that we stay strong, loud, and persistent in advocating for our health, freedoms, and futures and pushing back against these efforts to undermine our agency.

“Public policy must center reproductive justice. Being able to make personal decisions about our bodies is central to every person’s liberty. I am a cosponsor of legislation here in Wisconsin to repeal our state’s ban from 1849, which makes providing abortion care a felony, and our Legislature still has the opportunity to act to strengthen reproductive freedom. I encourage people to contact their state legislators and ask them to cosponsor the Abortion Rights Preservation Act to repeal this archaic ban and protect our rights to healthcare.

“As this draft is not the Court’s final ruling, we have an urgent opportunity for action. I implore our representatives in Congress to show their commitment by taking action to codify Roe v. Wade into law so everyone across the country has access to these fundamental rights. I appreciate that the U.S. House has already passed the Women’s Health Protection Act, and I am especially grateful that Senator Baldwin helped introduce it in the U.S. Senate. The U.S. Senate must act now to pass this legislation, and I encourage people to reach out to their federal representatives to demand it.

“Everyone deserves to make the choices that are right for themselves and their families about whether or when to have a child, and they deserve to be able to raise their family in a safe and healthy environment. To the folks out there who are feeling many profound emotions today and in the days come: I hear you, I see you, I acknowledge your worries and fears, and I am with you. I’ll continue to stand with you as we say, today and every day, that politics has no place in a pregnant person’s most deeply personal health care decisions. We cannot and will not go back.”

Print Friendly, PDF & Email