MADISON, Wis. — Yesterday, WisDems First Vice Chair Sarah Godlewski, Senate Democratic Leader Dianne Hesselbein, State Representative Lisa Subeck, Attorney General Josh Kaul, and Dr. Sarah Dobbins held a press conference marking the anniversary of the Dobbs decision. At the event, speakers covered a wide range of topics surrounding reproductive care in the state of Wisconsin, the work Democrats are doing to fight back against abortion restrictions, and the importance of winning a Democratic trifecta in the state to protect reproductive freedom.

See coverage of the event below: 

WMTV: Four Years After Dobbs, Wisconsin Democrats Warn Abortion Access Still Is Not Guaranteed

“If it’s not a federally and state constitutionally protected right, it is a right that could go away,” said state Rep. Lisa Subeck, D-Madison. “For the moment, we have access to abortion care. We need to expand that. We need to do better.”

Subeck said there are still barriers to access, particularly for rural Wisconsinites such as mandatory waiting periods and requirements for in-person visits for medication abortions.

“If we end up with a Republican majority, again, in the legislature and a Republican governor, access to abortion is, I think, very likely to be restricted in Wisconsin,” Attorney General Josh Kaul said.

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“Every day seems like a nightmare when I wake up and I see what in the world is happening in Washington, D.C.,” said state Sen. Dianne Hesselbein, (D). “But we know we can build that blue wall here in the state of Wisconsin so that no matter what chaos is happening in Washington, D.C., we can protect people in our own state.”

Spectrum News: Advocates Call For Greater Abortion Access On Anniversary Of Dobbs Decision

The U.S. Supreme Court’s decision in the Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization case four years ago overturned Roe v. Wade.

The move caused an 1849 law banning abortions in Wisconsin to go into effect.

While the Wisconsin Supreme Court struck that law down, Dr. Sarah Dobbins said abortions still aren’t easily accessible.

“Despite the challenge to the 1849 law, restrictions are still in place that make accessing abortion in Wisconsin extremely difficult, and we have more work to do,” Dobbins said.

Dobbins is a healthcare provider with Public Health Madison & Dane County and is a self-proclaimed leader in reproductive justice efforts.

She said some of the biggest barriers for patients seeking abortion care are mandatory in-person counseling, 24-hour waiting periods, and ultrasounds that are required before the procedure

“I continue to encounter many women who have to travel to states with fewer restrictions on reproductive healthcare like Illinois,” Dobbins said. “Wisconsinites should not have to travel out of state to get the care they need.”

CBS58: Four Years After Roe’s Overturn, Wisconsin Abortion Access Remains A 2026 Election Issue

Wednesday, June 24, marks four years since the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade in its Dobbs decision, ending the federal right to abortion and leaving the issue to individual states.

Wisconsin Democrats say abortion access in the state would be at risk if Republicans win a legislative majority in November.

State Rep. Lisa Subeck, D-Madison, said Democrats would reintroduce a bill to repeal the state’s 1849 abortion ban and other restrictions if they gain control of the Legislature and governor’s office. “We introduced a bill that would actually repeal that 1849 ban and repeal medically unnecessary and inappropriate restrictions to abortion care,” Subeck said. “Certainly, we would bring that back and pass that.”

The 1849 ban blocked abortion access in Wisconsin for 15 months before the state Supreme Court ruled against it.

WisPolitics: Dems say they will repeal 1849 abortion law, expand reproductive rights with trifecta

Wisconsin Democrats today called to repeal an 1849 abortion law and remove restrictions to reproductive healthcare access across the state if they secure a trifecta later this fall.

“A Democratic trifecta means we can pass laws that protect reproductive rights rather than restrict them. It means we have an Attorney General who will enforce those protections and fight back when they are challenged. It means a Governor who will not sign legislation that strips women’s autonomy away,” Senate Minority Leader Dianne Hesselbein said at a press conference today marking the fourth anniversary of the U.S. Supreme Court decision overturning the national right to abortion.

AG Josh Kaul said despite the state Supreme Court’s ruling in July 2025 that an 1849 state law that had been interpreted as banning abortion could not be enforced, a new state law could be passed that puts an abortion ban in place.

Kaul also said that if a Republican governor and a Republican majority in the Legislature are elected, abortion access is “very likely” to be restricted in Wisconsin.

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Despite the overturning of the 1849 law, Rep. Lisa Subeck, D-Madison, pointed to Wisconsin laws requiring a 24-hour waiting period and mandatory ultrasound requirements for abortions and the requirement that medication abortion be done with a physician in person.

Sarah Dobbins, a doctor of nursing practice and public health supervisor, said the U.S. Supreme Court’s ruling overturning Roe v. Wade has “drastically” changed how patients across the state receive care. She said she regularly sees women who travel to states with less abortion restrictions for reproductive healthcare.

“Wisconsinites should not have to travel out of state to receive the care they need. Our healthcare professionals should not be handcuffed by laws written by Republican legislators that prevent them from making decisions that are best for their patients,” Dobbins said.

If a Democratic majority is elected, Subeck said she would work to advance legislation that removes “medically unnecessary and inappropriate restrictions to abortion care.”

Subeck also championed bills that expanded postpartum Medicaid and breast cancer screenings that she said were passed in the face of “Republican opposition” and called out GOP lawmakers for refusing to hold hearings or voting against those bills until “the pressure was too great.”