How much does abortion policy matter in Wisconsin in 2024?

Frederica Freyberg:
As we approach the first presidential election since the overturning of Roe v. Wade, abortion remains a central and contentious issue for voters and candidates alike. “Here & Now” reporter Aditi Debnath examines how this topic is shaping the political landscape in our state and beyond.

Aditi Debnath:
After the U.S. Supreme Court’s Dobbs decision in 2022, which overturned Roe v. Wade, Wisconsin saw immediate changes. Abortion services halted due to an 1849 state law only to resume in late 2023 after a judge’s ruling. This legal whiplash has kept the issue at the forefront of political discourse.

Jenny Higgins:
Even now, there’s a lot of confusion about what is allowable and what institutions are comfortable for.

Crowd:
My choice.

Aditi Debnath:
The abortion debate is playing a crucial role in both state and national races. In Wisconsin’s U.S. Senate race, the contrast between candidates is stark. Democratic incumbent Senator Tammy Baldwin has been a vocal advocate for abortion rights.

Tammy Baldwin:
I am the leader in the fight to restore Roe v. Wade through a bill that I lead called the Women’s Health Protection Act.

Aditi Debnath:
Baldwin’s bill would codify the right to abortion into federal law and ban states from passing additional restrictions to abortion access.

Eric Hovde:
I agree that early on in a woman’s pregnancy, she should have a right to choose.

Aditi Debnath:
Her Republican challenger, Eric Hovde, has a different take.

Eric Hovde:
Where I draw a very distinct line, different than Senator Baldwin, is that there comes a point where a baby can be born healthy and alive, that it’s unconscionable that you would terminate that child’s life.

Aditi Debnath:
Hovde’s position reflects a broader trend among Republican candidates grappling with the issue’s complexity: a focus on late term abortions.

Jenny Higgins:
We know that overwhelming majority of abortions take place within the first trimester.

Aditi Debnath:
Jenny Higgins, director of UW-Madison’s Collaborative for Reproductive Equity, says late term abortions are rare.

Jenny Higgins:
Abortions that happen later than the first trimester happen for excellent reasons.

Aditi Debnath:
These reasons include fetal anomalies that aren’t detectable in the first trimester and can be fatal to the fetus. In the presidential race, former President Donald Trump has gone as far to erroneously say his opponent, Vice President Kamala Harris, supports murdering babies.

Donald Trump:
Her vice-presidential pick says abortion in the ninth month is absolutely fine. He also says execution after birth, it’s execution, no longer abortion because the baby is born is okay, and that’s not okay with me.

Aditi Debnath:
Vice President Harris, in her bid for president, recently visited Wisconsin to highlight her administration’s stance on abortion.

Kamala Harris:
What these kinds of laws mean, these kinds of laws under Trump abortion bans, it means doctors may have to wait until the patient is at death’s door before they take any action.

Aditi Debnath:
Gracie Skogman, legislative director of Wisconsin Right to Life, says Harris’s rhetoric ignores the crux of anti-abortion advocates’ philosophy.

Gracie Skogman:
So I think it’s our mission to remind people that we’re talking about two lives in the equation, both deserving of care.

Aditi Debnath:
Skogman and her team are activating voters across the state to understand that abortion law is on the ballot.

Gracie Skogman:
We have some groups that are in the Appleton area, and we want people to be aware of candidates who are running and what their record is.

Aditi Debnath:
Appleton is part of the eighth Congressional District, where the abortion issue is a key topic in the race between Democrat Kristin Lyerly an ob-gyn and abortion provider and Republican Tony Wied, a businessman endorsed by former President Trump.

Kristin Lyerly:
We need to provide national protection for abortion, contraception, IVF.

Aditi Debnath:
Meanwhile, the Republican candidate has pointed out a states’ rights approach.

Tony Wied:
The Supreme Court made the decision that the right of abortion is within the states’ hands. Where it was before, it is now, and I believe that it should continue to stay as a states’ right issue.

Aditi Debnath:
Skogman says this focus on a states’ rights approach ignores several legal levers at the federal level.

Gracie Skogman:
For example, right now, the vast majority of abortions are actually chemical abortions, and this is something that’s federally regulated. So that has to be a federal conversation.

Aditi Debnath:
She’s referring to a U.S. Supreme Court decision in June to preserve access to Mifepristone, the drug used in chemical abortions. The case threatened to federally restrict access to chemical abortions, even in states where abortion is legal.

Michelle Velasquez:
It’s really important that people understand, I think, the sort of powers of the various offices at the national level.

Aditi Debnath:
Michelle Velasquez is the chief strategy officer at Planned Parenthood of Wisconsin.

Michelle Velasquez:
A president appoints judges who are interpreting laws and hearing lawsuits.

Aditi Debnath:
Planned Parenthood of Wisconsin has been heading the legal battle over abortion at the state level. They filed a lawsuit in February that the Wisconsin Supreme Court accepted.

Michelle Velasquez:
That case will argue that our state Constitution would not allow an abortion ban to stand because our Constitution protects the right to bodily autonomy and agency.

Aditi Debnath:
The Supreme Court hasn’t released a schedule for the case, but abortion remains top of mind for Wisconsin voters as we approach the first presidential election since the overturning of Roe v. Wade. Reporting from Milwaukee, I’m Aditi Debnath for “Here & Now.”