Planned Parenthood Advocates of Wisconsin News Wire
Wednesday, March 5, 2008 Special Edition

In this Issue:

  • Representative, How Much Time Should She Do?
  • The People of Wisconsin Feel Differently


Representative, How Much Time Should She Do?
As part of an effort to educate voters on the risk to women’s access to safe, legal abortion services without the threat of criminal penalties, Planned Parenthood and NARAL Pro-Choice Wisconsin Foundation have joined together to launch the “How Much Time Should She Do?” campaign today. Phase one of the campaign debuting today features radio and online ads targeting legislators in Milwaukee, Green Bay and La Crosse who support Wisconsin’s Criminal Abortion Statute (Wis. Stat. Sec. 940.04) and who voted last Thursday to preserve criminal penalties for victims of rape.

 

These legislators and other women’s health care opponents in the Assembly cast a series of astonishing votes around the Abortion Ban (Assembly Bill 710/Senate Bill 416) that sent a chilling message to Wisconsin women that their health doesn’t matter.  Equally troubling was the failure of Assembly Amendment  2 (AA2) to Assembly Bill 710 that would have protected rape victims from being penalized for having an abortion under the Criminal Abortion Statute.

 

Wisconsin’s Criminal Abortion Statute outlaws abortion even when the health of a woman is at risk, and in cases of rape and incest. The statute provides criminal penalties for women and physicians that would be enforced immediately if Roe v. Wade were to be reversed — a very real threat given the current composition of the U.S. Supreme Court. AA2 would have clarified a conflict in our statute around the stated penalties for women and their doctors who violate 940.04. But Representatives Ott, Honadel, Van Roy and Huebsch were among the anti-women’s health care legislators who voted against the amendment.

 

That vote means if Roe is overturned, Wisconsin rape victims and doctors could be threatened with prison without further clarification of the law.

 

As a result of their votes, Planned Parenthood and NARAL Pro-Choice Wisconsin Foundation ask those legislators who oppose women’s access to abortion, including victims of rape and incest, and if a woman’s health is at risk, how much time should she do?

 

FEMALE #1 ANNOUNCER

How much time should she do?

 

FEMALE #2 ANNOUNCER

If State Representative Ott gets his way, abortion would be illegal even if the woman is a victim of rape.

 

FEMALE #1 ANNOUNCER

How much time should she do?

 

FEMALE #2 ANNOUNCER

Under Wisconsin’s criminal abortion law, supported by Representative Ott, rape victims who have an abortion could be threatened with prison.

 

FEMALE #1  ANNOUNCER

Representative Ott, we have a question.  How much time should she do?
Abortion is a personal decision, not a criminal act.

 

FEMALE #2 ANNOUNCER

Learn more at ppwi.org or prochoicewisconsin.org. Paid for by Planned Parenthood of Wisconsin and NARAL Pro-Choice Wisconsin Foundation

 

If abortion is outlawed, women and their doctors will be criminals – regardless of the circumstances. And efforts to clarify the conflict in our current Criminal Abortion Statute to ensure rape victims are not threatened with prison time were rejected by 54 Assembly representatives.

 

“This is cause for alarm: our state Assembly just passed an abortion ban that prohibits doctors from using the safest abortion methods to protect the health and future fertility of some women with dangerous medical conditions.  Furthermore, 54 of our legislators apparently think we should continue to treat rape and incest victims like criminals under Wisconsin’s existing criminal abortion ban,” said Kelda Helen Roys, executive director of NARAL Pro-Choice Wisconsin Foundation.

 

“To refuse women and their doctors the ability to utilize a medical procedure that is necessary to protect a woman from grave, long lasting damage to their physical health is unconscionable,” stated PPAWI Executive Director Lisa Boyce. “Similarly unbelievable is the failure of our elected officials to act in a way that will protect victims of rape from the threat of prison time under 940.04.  Failure to adopt both amendments sends a clear message to women that their health does not matter and rape victims are at risk of prison time for having an abortion under Wisconsin’s criminal abortion law.”

 

Listen to the Representative Ott (R-Mequon) ad.

Listen to the Representative Honadel (R-South Milwaukee) ad.

Listen to the Representative Carl Van Roy (R-Green Bay) ad.

Listen to the Assembly Leader Mike Huebsch (R-West Salem) ad.



The People of Wisconsin Feel Differently
The votes from Representatives Ott, Honadel, Van Roy and Huebsch do not represent the views of the people who elected them.

 

A series of polls including a February statewide poll of 500 likely voters conducted by Lake Research Partners and a May 2007 Mellman poll of 600 likely voters indicated a majority not only want to repeal Wisconsin’s extreme and antiquated Criminal Abortion Statute, but they would also question any legislator who opposed abortion and supported criminal penalties for women. Take a look at the numbers:

 

  • 74 percent of likely voters indicated that a legislator’s support of criminal penalties for a woman and physician who participate in an abortion even in cases of rape, incest and to protect the health of a woman raised serious doubts about that legislator.
  • 74 percent of voters also agreed that medical decisions about abortion should be made by women, their families and their doctors, without interference from politicians.
  • 69 percent of voters strongly supported repealing the Criminal Abortion Statute to ensure abortion remains legal following the possible reversal of Roe.
  • Only 32 percent believed the Criminal Abortion Statute should stay on the books. 

 

“The people of Wisconsin have spoken, and the message is loud and clear—they believe women and their doctors, not politicians and the government, should make these personal decisions about abortion,” said Boyce.  “Abortion is a personal decision, not a criminal act, so we urge concerned citizens to join us in asking legislators this simple question: ‘How much time should a woman do for having an abortion?’ For the sake of Wisconsin women, the time to ask this question is now, to clarify this issue before any rape victim is threatened with prison.”



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