Wisconsin Republicans Propose Legislation to Prohibit Abortions Beyond 14 Weeks

Republicans in control of the Wisconsin Assembly have introduced a bill that proposes a binding statewide referendum on whether abortion should be banned after 14 weeks of pregnancy. A public hearing on the bill has been scheduled for Monday, although Democratic Governor Tony Evers is expected to veto the measure. Despite this, the proposal could still energize the conservative base, considering the Democrats’ success in recent elections after capitalizing on the anger surrounding the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision to overturn the Roe v. Wade ruling.

This dynamic was particularly evident in Wisconsin, where Janet Protasiewicz won a seat on the state Supreme Court last year by emphasizing her support for abortion rights. Her victory gave liberal justices a majority on the court. Republicans have faced additional challenges, as a Dane County judge ruled last summer that Wisconsin’s 174-year-old ban on abortion only prohibits feticide, allowing Planned Parenthood to resume operations. However, the ruling is currently being appealed and is expected to reach the state Supreme Court.

The timing of Monday’s hearing coincides with Vice President Kamala Harris’ visit to Waukesha County as part of her national tour promoting reproductive rights, ensuring significant media coverage on the topic of abortion. Wisconsin already has a law banning abortions after 20 weeks of pregnancy, but the newly introduced bill seeks to extend the prohibition to 14 weeks, approximately three months.

According to the Guttmacher Institute, 43 states have restrictions on abortions after a certain point of viability. Georgia and South Carolina have laws in effect that ban abortion at six weeks, while Nebraska and North Carolina prohibit abortion at 12 weeks. Arizona and Florida have laws in effect that prohibit abortion at 15 weeks.

However, the Wisconsin bill comes with a caveat. It calls for a statewide referendum during April’s election, allowing voters to decide whether the 14-week prohibition should take effect. If approved, the bill would become effective immediately after the results are certified. Conversely, if the question is rejected, the bill would not take effect. Currently, Wisconsin law does not permit voters to place questions on the ballot, despite Governor Evers’ previous calls for a mechanism to repeal the state’s 1849 abortion ban.

Assembly Speaker Robin Vos expressed his desire in December to let voters decide on reducing the window for abortions, citing the need to eliminate uncertainty caused by outdated laws. When asked for comment, a spokesperson for Vos referred to his previous statements. Representative Amanda Nedweski, the bill’s chief Assembly sponsor, later released a statement through Vos’s spokesperson, stating that shrinking the window for abortion could potentially save lives.

Governor Evers’ spokesperson, Britt Cudaback, referred to the governor’s previous comments, in which he promised to veto any bill that restricts access to reproductive healthcare. Cudaback argues that this proposed bill aligns with Evers’ statement. However, the bill’s fate remains uncertain, as it must pass both the Assembly and the Senate before reaching the governor. The Senate’s Republican majority leader, Devin LeMahieu, previously stated that it would be challenging to gather enough support within his caucus for an abortion bill that Evers would ultimately veto.