MADISON – Today marks three years since the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade, ending nearly 50 years of guaranteed access to legal abortion and triggering a wave of attacks on reproductive freedoms across the country. The Court’s decision in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization has had devastating consequences, particularly in states controlled by Republican legislatures.
In Wisconsin, abortion services ceased for more than a year following the Dobbs decision due to confusion over an 1849 criminal abortion ban still on the books. Services resumed only after a court ruled that the law could not be used to prosecute abortion providers, a decision that is now under appeal. With the case still making its way through the courts, access to abortion remains uncertain, and the threat to reproductive freedom persists.
“With an archaic abortion ban still in state law, an increasingly hostile federal judiciary, and extremist Republican legislators introducing new bans and restrictions each session, reproductive rights in Wisconsin remain under constant threat,” said Representative Lisa Subeck (D-Madison). “At the heart of this fight is the fundamental freedom to make personal decisions about our own reproductive health care. Every person deserves the right to access the reproductive care they need without interference from politicians or the government.”
Restoring and protecting access to abortion is broadly supported by Wisconsinites. Nearly 60% of voters support legal access to abortion, and more than 60% oppose the Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe v. Wade.
Rep. Subeck represents the 79th Assembly District, and serves as Chair of the Assembly Democratic Caucus.
[1] Marquette University Law School Poll. “Final Pre-Election Marquette Law School Poll of Wisconsin Voters…” Milwaukee, WI : Marquette University, November 2, 2022.
