Here & Now

Wisconsin High Schoolers Share Their Views on Abortion Law

Frederica Freyberg:

As the nation and Wisconsin marked the 50-year anniversary of the Roe v. Wade decision this week, we take an opportunity to hear from young people across the state as Dobbs v. Jackson has now reverted abortion law to the states. When asked what issues are most important to them, many young voters said abortion rights.

Ben Fraley:

I think women — a woman’s right to choose, is very important.

Kate Pluta:

By overturning Roe, affluent women will always be able to get abortions. They’ll always be able to get safe abortions. But women in underserved communities, women of color, women who live below the poverty line or just at the poverty line, their lives will be put in danger because they won’t be able to get safe abortions.

Isabela Flores:

It took away our ability to have the say whether we want to be a parent or not.

Makenzie Hobbs:

It almost feels like guns have more rights than women.

Lily Olson:

It’s important to me because as a young girl who still has like the rest of her life ahead of her, knowing that a choice like that has kind of been stripped away, it’s scary. Like knowing that if I couldn’t afford it or if it was like if I got sexually assaulted or something like that, like I would still have to carry the baby. And even if I could die in the process, or if I knew the baby wouldn’t make it, I would still have to have it.

Ashley Butkus:

I think it will cause a lot more negative side effects down the road than what people think.