Legislative Elections Crucial for Reproductive Rights
By Carousel Bayrd and Sachin Chheda ¦ The Capital Times ¦ 13 August 2008 Many reproductive rights that Wisconsin women take for granted need protection more than ever. In January, we marked the 35th anniversary of Roe v. Wade, the landmark Supreme Court decision that established a woman's right to have an abortion. While a cause for celebration, the anniversary also reminds abortion rights advocates that Roe is still on fragile ground. With attacks on choice coming from extremists, members of Congress and a majority of the U.S. Supreme Court, we must now look to state leaders to protect our fundamental rights. This November, it is not just the presidential election that needs our attention -- who wins the state Legislature is critical as well. Shockingly, on the Legislative Scorecard released recently by NARAL Pro-Choice Wisconsin, almost half of the elected officials received D's or F's for their lifetime voting record. The scorecard exposes the anti-choice politicians in Wisconsin's Legislature and their anti-privacy, anti-birth control, anti-women voting record. These so-called "leaders" are failing Wisconsin women. However, we are pleased to report that there are a growing number of pro-choice leaders in Wisconsin. Fully 19 more legislators than last session received a C or better -- which proves that elections matter, and that when faced with the facts, legislators who used to be seen as reliable anti-choice votes are now putting the brakes on an extremist agenda. This year, we also celebrated passage of the Compassionate Care for Rape Victims bill, the first piece of pro-choice legislation Wisconsin has passed in more than a decade. This bill ensures all rape victims are given information about and access to emergency contraception, regardless of which hospital they visit. We congratulate the Legislature and Gov. Jim Doyle for making this common-sense legislation a law. We have seen increased bipartisan support for proactive "prevention-first" initiatives that prevent unintended pregnancies and the need for abortion. In addition, only one anti-choice bill was introduced during the 2007-08 legislative session, an abrupt change from recent sessions. Anti-choice legislators were forced on the defensive when explaining their positions against legislation to ensure the full range of reproductive options for Wisconsin women, including comprehensive sex education and greater access to birth control. But we have a long way to go. Wisconsin has a criminal abortion ban on the books. Under this law, if a woman -- even a victim of rape or incest -- receives an abortion, she could be threatened with jail time. Of course, the Wisconsin abortion ban is unenforceable because of Roe. But if Roe were to be overturned, the criminal abortion ban would immediately come into effect. It is one of the worst abortion laws in the country, making no exceptions if the woman's health is at risk or if the pregnancy is the result of rape or incest. When given the chance this year to make it clear that rape victims should never go to jail for having an abortion, more than 50 members of the state Assembly voted no. We wonder: How much time should a rape victim do for having an abortion? Wisconsin must pass "a Roe of our own" to keep abortion a safe, legal option for all Wisconsin women, no matter what happens in Washington, D.C. Our movement has the momentum, and our state legislators are taking notice. Passing Compassionate Care for Rape Victims is the first of many victories. But we must repeal Wisconsin's criminal abortion ban. We must ensure that no woman will ever be refused access to birth control at the pharmacy counter. Finally, we must decrease the need for abortion by expanding access to, and the affordability of, methods to prevent unintended pregnancy. The future of reproductive rights is in our hands. Activists worked throughout the 1960s and 1970s to ensure all American women the right to a safe and legal abortion. Their fight has become our fight. We need your help to ensure that all Wisconsin women have access to the full range of reproductive options.
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