Wisconsin politicians reacted swiftly to Politico’s report of a draft U.S. Supreme Court ruling that would overturn the 1973 decision that established the right to an abortion.
Gov. Tony Evers tweeted last night the court was positioning itself to overturn Roe v. Wade.
“When I ran in 2018, I promised to protect reproductive rights and abortion access,” Evers tweeted. “I made that promise and I intend to keep it. I will always fight for reproductive healthcare in our state.
Several of his GOP rivals heralded the report. Former Lt. Gov. Rebecca Kleefisch tweeted, “It’s about time.”
Kevin Nicholson added, “I pray this is true.”
Politico cited an initial draft majority opinion written by conservative Justice Samuel Alito in reporting late yesterday the court had voted to strike down Roe v. Wade and Planned Parenthood v. Casey, a 1992 decision that largely maintained the right to an abortion established by the 1973 ruling.
Politico wrote the draft opinion had been circulated inside the court. The leak of the draft was considered a breach of protocol.
“Barbara and I have long worked for and prayed for this moment, and we hope this news proves to be true,” GOP guv candidate Tim Michels tweeted following the report. “As governor, I will always work to protect the unborn, while working to win hearts and minds.”
Wisconsin has outlawed abortion since 1849, though that ban hasn’t been enforced since Roe v. Wade was handed down. The law makes it a Class H felony for “any person, other than the mother, who intentionally destroys the life of an unborn child.”
U.S. Sen. Tammy Baldwin, D-Madison, called for the U.S. Senate to pass legislation she co-sponsored to guarantee the right to access an abortion.
“If #SCOTUS is going to legislate from the bench and turn back the clock 50 years on #RoeVWade, then the Senate needs to pass my Women’s Health Protection Act, and if we need to eliminate the filibuster to get it done, we should do that too. #WHPA,” Baldwin tweeted.
The four leading Dems running to challenge U.S. Sen. Ron Johnson each issued a statement calling for the Senate to pass legislation to protect the right to an abortion. Mandela Barnes, Sarah Godlewski, Alex Lasry and Tom Nelson each called for the Senate to end the filibuster to allow the legislation to clear the chamber.
Johnson, R-Oshkosh, focused his comments last night of the opinion draft. He insisted it was meant to intimidate justices and was “another example of how the radical left intends to ‘fundamentally transform’ America.”
Politico didn’t provide any details on the source that provided it with the draft opinion.
“Undermine our judicial system, open our borders, drive gasoline prices to record levels, forty year high inflation, and spark a crime wave. They are fundamentally destroying our country – they must be stopped,” Johnson tweeted.
