Zac Schultz:
We are joined now by State Senator Kelda Roys, a Democrat from Madison. Thanks for your time today.
Kelda Roys:
Good to be with you.
Zac Schultz:
What kind of legislation would you expect to see Republicans introduce in the next session if Roe v. Wade is indeed overturned?
Kelda Roys:
Unfortunately Wisconsin already has on the statues an 1849 ban on abortion making it a crime. So, I would expect to see all kinds of legislation. Things like punishing women and bounty laws like they have in Texas. And that’s why re-electing Governor Evers and Attorney General Josh Kaul is so important if we want to protect people’s reproductive freedom.
Zac Schultz:
The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel is reporting that Assembly Speaker Robin Vos supports exceptions for rape and incest but he’s not sure the rest of his party will go along with that. Do you believe him? Does he have the pull to actually put those things in place?
Kelda Roys:
I don’t think so. Unfortunately, the Journal Sentinel also reported the Republican Party has been attacking Robin Vos as not conservative enough, which just shows how far right they’ve gone. The current law on the books, the 1849 law that I mentioned, has no exceptions. And so it really doesn’t matter what the circumstance is, abortion would be a crime. And too many Republican politicians, I think, are very comfortable with that kind of a law.
Zac Schultz:
Polling shows that most Wisconsinites support some level of abortion rights. But obviously some of those supporters have voted for Republicans in the past. Do you think overturning Roe v. Wade will change how they vote? Are they reachable for Democrats?
Kelda Roys:
They absolutely are. This is a very different political environment. It’s been easy for Republicans to take these anti-choice votes. You know? Really extreme positions like no exceptions for rape and incest or for a woman’s health. But now that Roe v. Wade is going to be overturned, almost certainly, those votes are no longer just symbolic, right? That’s actually going to have an impact on people’s lives. And I think they are going to be punished at the ballot box.
Zac Schultz:
Now, if Governor Evers wins re-election this fall. Like you said, the old 1849 statue is in place, could you imagine a scenario where Democrats and Republicans pass compromised legislation that would perhaps put more restrictions on abortion than currently exist under Roe v. Wade but not as restrictive as the 1849 law? Is there middle ground if Republicans can’t fit everything they want but the 1849 law is on the books?
Kelda Roys:
Unfortunately, I don’t think that is possible in Wisconsin because our Republican Party is so extreme, they will not want — they will not have enough votes to move legislation that changes that criminal abortion statue in any way. They’ve just gone so far to the right that I don’t think they can get their party back. Part of the problem is the gerrymandering because they are not actually accountable to voters. It’s our job to make sure the governor and the statewide races go democratic and we make sure we are electing pro-choice people.
Zac Schultz:
Formerly you’ve served as the executive director of NARAL Pro-Choice Wisconsin. What have you been hearing from both women and doctors in the last week? What have they been telling you?
Kelda Roys:
There is a tremendous amount of concern about how this is going to devastate people’s lives. There’s also quite a lot of energy and hope around trying to preserve access for people. I just published an op-ed with former national head of ACOG urging people to go get medication abortion and just have it on hand. Even if you are not pregnant, just so that if you need it, you’ll have it in your medicine cabinet. There is also a lot of activism around the election because as I said, we are not powerless to just say we’re going to have to go back to 1849. We’re not going to go quietly. We need to make our voices heard at the ballot box and if we do that and if we elect Democrats up and down the ticket, we can codify Roe v. Wade at the federal level and we can make sure nobody is ever prosecuted in Wisconsin for providing abortion care.
Zac Schultz:
Speaking of prosecution in Wisconsin, if the 1849 law is on the books, would you anticipate local police or district attorneys investigating miscarriages and other things like that?
Kelda Roys:
We have — that is not conjecture. We have absolutely seen that around the country in other states. I think it’s very scary. I’m someone who really believes in public safety and wants to have safe neighborhoods. I don’t think we should be diverting our public safety resources from really important investigations so that we can go after women who might be experiencing a trauma. You know, as somebody who has had a miscarriage, I can imagine the only thing that would have made it worse is being investigated by the police instead of receiving appropriate health care.
Zac Schultz:
There are a lot of people commenting today that say this is primarily a woman’s issue. How would you respond to that? What should men be doing at this time? How should they be involved in this conversation?
Kelda Roys:
That’s a great question. This absolutely affects women and men. Anybody who has sex and doesn’t want that to result in a baby should be concerned about what it would mean to not have the option of abortion available for families to choose. Anyone who wants to have a kid but wants to make sure that their partner, their female partner is not put in jeopardy of losing her life or losing her health, should be worried about this. You know, abortion is one of those things you don’t really think about until you need it. But when you need it, you really want to make sure it’s safe and available and accessible. And it’s very important for men to vote, as well, so preserve abortion care and abortion rights because even though there is a big gender gap with party, it is men overwhelmingly who have, sort of, been able to get off scot free by having abortions so widely available and accessible.
Zac Schultz:
All right Kelda Roys, thank you for your time today.
Kelda Roys:
Thank you.
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News Stories from PBS Wisconsin
02/03/25
‘Here & Now’ Highlights: State Rep. Sylvia Ortiz-Velez, Jane Graham Jennings, Chairman Tehassi Hill

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