MADISON – Today, Governor Tony Evers convened the legislature for a special session to repeal the 1849 law criminalizing abortion in Wisconsin—a pre-Civil War ban that prohibits nearly all abortions, with no exceptions for rape or incest, and which could go back into effect with the overturning of Roe v. Wade. Representative Shelia Stubbs (D-Madison) released the following statement regarding the special session:

“Wisconsinites deserve the freedom to make proper and informed decisions about our own lives in consultation with our doctors, our family, and our faith. This freedom is especially important when it comes to personal healthcare decisions that will greatly impact our lives and our futures.”

“Abortion is reproductive healthcare, and reproductive healthcare should be available to all. We cannot allow an outdated law to restrict reproductive rights in our state. Anyone who needs an abortion should be able to access one safely, legally, and free from any interference or shame.”

“The decision to seek reproductive healthcare is private. It is deeply personal. Healthcare access should not be political which is why politicians have no place interfering in decisions between doctors and patients.”

“It is a shame that legislative Republicans have once again refused to take action, and ignored Governor Evers’ special session. The utter disregard for reproductive rights is a serious threat to the people in Wisconsin that will need access to abortion care. People who need abortion care are our friends, neighbors, and family members—and they deserve not only safe and appropriate reproductive healthcare, but also empathy, compassion, and care from the State of Wisconsin and its leaders.”

“I have said this before and I will never get tired of saying it again: criminalizing abortions in Wisconsin won’t stop them—it will only make them more dangerous and put people’s lives at risk for simply attempting to receive the care they need. Together, with my fellow Assembly Democrats, I will do everything I can to protect every Wisconsinite’s right to comprehensive healthcare. I encourage my fellow lawmakers and our representatives in Congress, to do right by the people of Wisconsin, and act quickly by codifying the right to abortion access into state and federal law.”

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