MADISON – The ACLU of Wisconsin issued the following statement today after the State Supreme Court’s 4-3 decision declaring the 1849 abortion ban to be unenforceable.
Executive Director of the ACLU of Wisconsin, Dr. Melinda Brennan, said:
“We have been waiting for this moment since the United States Supreme Court overturned our constitutional right and generational expectation to abortion in 2021. Since then – especially before the abortion ban was halted in 2023 – pregnant people in Wisconsin have dealt with the catastrophic consequences of having their bodily autonomy stripped from them – including forced pregnancy, denial of critical medical care for pregnancy-related complications like miscarriage, and having to leave home just to get the treatment they need and deserve. Even though that right was restored by lower courts, the fact that the Wisconsin Supreme Court has now rendered the criminal abortion ban unenforceable means Wisconsinites no longer have to fear the archaic 1849 ban could go back into effect.
With the ban struck down, Wisconsin is a more free and more just place to live. But that doesn’t mean it’s time to back down. The political attacks on reproductive justice will not slow down, and we must remain vigilant to make sure everyone who can get pregnant has access to the full range of reproductive healthcare, no matter where in the state they live. Politicians will keep trying to legislate away and restrict our reproductive rights, as well as roll back LGBTQ rights, freedom of expression, and more. While we should celebrate this monumental win, we can’t let up.”
