NARAL says fall elections could have huge impact on abortion rights
8/23/2010
Even with Dem majorities in both the Wisconsin Legislature and Congress and supporters of their cause in the state Capitol's East Wing and the White House, these aren’t the best of times for NARAL.
Federal lawmakers included a ban on abortion coverage in the health care overhaul approved earlier this year, Wisconsin’s 1800s-era anti-abortion statute is still on the books and Dem majorities are threatened at both the state and federal level.
So NARAL Pro-Choice America President Nancy Keenan and Wisconsin executive director Lisa Subeck believe Wisconsin’s fall elections could have a big impact on whether the state improves on the C-minus on abortion rights it received from the group earlier this year.
“The battle never ends,” Keenan says in a new interview with WisPolitics.
At the federal level, Keenan said the races for Russ Feingold’s Senate seat and the retiring Dave Obey’s House district are at the top of the group’s priorities for the state.
NARAL has endorsed Feingold and maxed out in its PAC contribution to his campaign in what Keenan said the group knows is going to be a tight race. It’s important to NARAL since Feingold sits on the powerful Judiciary Committee that has review power over judicial nominees, particularly those who could someday decide whether to uphold Roe v. Wade as abortion opponents file various challenges to the 37-year-old ruling.
Keenan said the organization hasn't endorsed in the 7th CD yet, but has “every indication” that Dem state Sen. Julie Lassa is “fully pro-choice.” The group’s PAC will consider weighing in on that race next week.
Some observers have wondered if abortion rights groups could play too heavily in the district and end up turning off more culturally conservative voters. But Keenan rejected the notion that anything about the group’s message could be construed as radical.
“I consider being pro-choice to be moderate and very mainstream, and it's all about protecting freedom and privacy in this country and in Wisconsin,” said Keenan, who was in Wisconsin last week.
Subeck said it was a decidedly mixed bag at the state level this legislative session.
The group celebrated passage of the “Healthy Youth Act” that set new standards for sex ed classes in Wisconsin schools. But it was disheartened by the Juneau County DA’s threat to prosecute teachers who follow the law and remains committed to repealing Wisconsin’s abortion statute, which remains on the books but unenforceable because of Roe.
NARAL has endorsed Tom Barrett in the guv’s race, and Subeck said the organization considers Mark Neumann and Scott Walker extreme -- not just because of their opposition to abortion but also their alignment with groups that also oppose birth control.
The group also released its endorsements in leggie races today, backing five Senate candidates and 22 in the Assembly.
The group backed Dem state Sen. Jeff Plale’s primary opponent Chris Larson while passing over vulnerable Dem state Sen. Kathleen Vinehout of Alma, who has broken with her caucus several times on abortion-related votes.
“We have Democrats in control of both houses,” Subeck said. “We do not have pro-choice majorities in both houses.”
Listen to the full interview
here.
See the endorsements list
here.
