MADISON, Wis. (AP) — The Republican-controlled Wisconsin Assembly has given final approval to a package of anti-abortion bills that Democratic Gov. Tony Evers is all but certain to veto.
No Democrats voted for the bills that passed Wednesday. Republican supporters say the measures will reduce the number of abortions in the state.
Evers vetoed several of the bills two years ago, including one creating a criminal penalty for doctors who fail to give medical care in extremely rare circumstance in which a baby is born alive after a failed abortion. Republicans do not have enough votes in the Legislature to override an Evers veto.
Democratic Party of Wisconsin Chair Ben Wikler released a statement in response to the bills, which reads in part: "We all want the freedom to make our own most intimate health care decisions, but Republicans are advancing extreme, divisive laws to advance their scorched-earth political agenda. Abortion is health care. Bills like those advanced by the Assembly today insert politics into some of the most deeply personal moments in a family’s life, and harm those seeking care. Pregnant people and their families, not politicians, should make their personal health care decisions."
Gracie Skogman, the legislative director of Wisconsin Right to Life, also released a statement, which reads in part: "The heart of the pro-life movement is supporting women and their unborn children. The bills passed in the Assembly today exemplify this mission. Ensuring that women are given potentially lifesaving information when given the chemical abortion pill regimen and providing expectant parents with support and medically accurate information when presented with a diagnosis of a congenital condition in their unborn child, are powerful parts of this mission. Additionally, protecting the lives of babies born alive after a failed abortion attempt, and defending unborn children regardless of race, gender, or disability diagnosis are also powerful steps in this direction."
