MADISON, Wis. — With Ron Johnson praising and taking credit for the Supreme Court overturning Roe v. Wade, and the Wisconsin GOP making clear this is the outcome they wanted, Wisconsinites are speaking out that the right to make their own health care decisions are on the ballot in November.
See what they’re saying below:
Wisconsin State Journal: “Republicans will be the reason long-established rights for women are erased in an instant — rights that several Republican-nominated justices had agreed were ‘settled law’ during their confirmations in recent years…For political reasons during a tough reelection campaign, U.S. Sen. Ron Johnson, R-Oshkosh, has tried to downplay the impact of Roe v. Wade being overturned: ‘It’s not going to be that big a change,’ he told the Wall Street Journal. Yes, it is.”
Jeneva Lindsey, Juneau: “I am personally pro-life, which is why I cannot tolerate this decision. Banning abortion isn’t pro-life…Many of those who choose to get an abortion will suffer — either via legal action or death…As a reminder, Wisconsin is a purple state, which means we can swing either Republican or Democrat, depending on voter turnout. This puts us in a particularly unique position where votes have more power. We must use our votes.”
Paula Bezark, Fitchburg: “We need our representatives to listen to us and stop actively trying to do us harm. We need to keep abortion safe and legal in Wisconsin, and we need Republicans to stop attacking our basic human rights.”
Allegra Zick, Sauk City: “Ironically, Republicans who want less government interference now want total control over women’s rights for abortion…I can relate personally to abortion because my father’s mother died from a self-induced abortion.”
Judy Brodd, Sister Bay: “The recent Supreme Court decision took away a woman’s right to determine her reproductive future. Today our children and grandchildren will have fewer rights than we had before this horrific decision.”
Natalie Louise Shribman, Eau Claire: “With this breach of precedent, resources are now lacking and, unfortunately, accessing abortion will now depend on goodwill, luck and money…My experience motivates me to continue fighting for access to abortion and for the right to decide.”
Ginny White, Madison: “Women born after the Supreme Court’s Roe v. Wade decision in 1973 are finding out that they’re second-class citizens. These women probably never imagined that the Supreme Court would take away a constitutional right that had been in effect for 49 years.”
Danell Sulik, Kendall: ‘“Backward,’ Wisconsin’s new motto. As of June 24, 2022, Wisconsin moved back to 1849 when its abortion law was passed. That law, under which we are now governed, makes no exception for incest or rape.”
Patricia McConnell, Black Earth: “Who has a ‘right to life’? Women. Full-grown adult women whose lives can be overturned, full of tragedy or destroyed by abortion bans. Keep that in mind when you vote in the next election.”
Kate Redmond, Oostburg: “In Wisconsin…the people who created our existing abortion law actually lived before the Civil War, when women had few legal rights and could not vote.”
Kerry Smith, Cedarburg: “Abortion is a complicated decision that no one wants to have to make. Every pregnancy has significant lifelong impacts on a woman’s health and the course of her life. That is why it must be her decision, not one that is made for her by government.”
Tim Melin, Verona: “Our Federal Supreme Court has ruled that women have no rights when it comes to their own reproductive health. None.”
Marsha Gregg, Madison: “In overturning Roe, states are now allowed to create a whole new tier of second-class citizens. Whether or not a pregnant woman can choose what is best for her or her family comes down to two factors: what state she lives in and whether she falls into the ‘have’ or ‘have not’ portion of the population.”
Lila Hemlin, Madison: “Women have had abortions long before this law. Many women died at the hands of back-alley practices and lethal home remedies. This ruling will not eliminate abortions because those who can pay and find a willing practitioner will be able to obtain them as they did prior to Roe v. Wade….Women should speak loudly and stand up to control their own health care decisions. Will a women’s right to vote be the next established precedent to be overturned?”
Guy John Rosilez, Madison: “In Wisconsin, an anti-abortion law almost as old as the state is once again weighing heavily in the minds of Wisconsinites, and while there have been discussions suggesting that the state will not actively enforce the abortion ban, folks across the state still have valid concerns as the law on the books criminalizes most abortions.”
Thomas Eggert, Madison: “Republicans playing the long-game have won this round. It remains for the people to weigh in on whether the rights of women should be dismissed without consequence.”
Claire Wendland, Madison: “In Wisconsin, the Dobbs decision eliminates access to abortion, except to save the life of a pregnant woman. Performing this basic reproductive health-care procedure is now a felony, as a law dating from 1849 goes into effect. Clinicians and patients no longer are able to determine together what’s best for a person’s health and well-being. Doctors, nurse practitioners and others are constrained from providing necessary and appropriate health care.”
Gaila Olseon, Black Earth: “I am in my 70s and way past child-bearing age, but it makes me irate to think that my 32-year-old daughter could be jailed using an ancient 1849 law or possibly incarcerated if she wanted to go across state lines for health care. I never had to live by these rules. This is completely nuts.”
