MADISON – Today, Assembly Speaker Robin Vos (R-Rochester) held a joint press conference to introduce legislation sponsored by State Senator Mary Felzkowski (R-Irma), and State Representative Donna Rozar (R-Marshfield). The proposed bill would allow abortions in certain cases to supposedly “save the life of the mother” or in the case of rape or incest. Wisconsin Family Action opposes this legislation.

“The language describing the need for an abortion to save the life of the mother, is totally unnecessary,” said Julaine Appling, President of Wisconsin Family Action. “The bill mentions three specific circumstances, all three of which are either not pregnancies at all or are already recognized as medically necessary to save the life of the mother. Anembryonic pregnancy and molar pregnancy are circumstances where there is no embryo or fetus; so obviously, it cannot be an abortion. Ectopic pregnancy is a life-threatening condition that requires emergency treatment. In all three of these cases, there is no current law that would prohibit a physician from providing the necessary medical care.

“Using the term ‘therapeutic abortion’ in the bill’s co-sponsor memo and in the legislative analysis is at best misleading. Abortion is not health care, and medical professionals have told us for years that we no longer have ‘either-or’ situations, but rather ‘both-and,’ meaning today both the mother and unborn baby can be saved. If the baby dies inadvertently from the treatment given to the mother, while tragic, it is far different from intentionally killing the baby in an effort to save the mother.

“With regard to allowing for an abortion for cases of rape and incest, the termination of a viable pregnancy, under any circumstances is the destruction of a human life. The child who is conceived under these circumstances is just as viable and valuable as any other child. He or she should not be destroyed because of the crime that was committed by her father,” Appling continued. 

“Rape or incest are tragic circumstances to be sure, and the trauma to a woman is horrific. But abortion doesn’t stop that trauma; it actually adds to it. The problem with this legislation is that it punishes the innocent unborn child while making it easier for the perpetrator, the real guilty party in this situation, to hide his crime. Abortion is often used to cover up crimes from sex-trafficking to rape. Additionally, and very importantly, the legislation does not require any documentation or police record that an actual sexual assault took place.

For these reasons, we cannot support this legislation. Passage of this bill would be the first step in fully legalizing abortion again in Wisconsin.”

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