Source: henrysanders.org
By: Henry Sanders, Jr.
I have often said and written that Wisconsin’s economy can only work if we have all hands on deck—if people of every group, class, race, ethnicity, gender and orientation have an equal chance to bring their talents to the table. A woman’s right to plan for and control her own reproductive future—with her own doctor, her own family, and her own conscience, without government interference—directly impacts her ability to contribute to and benefit from the society we have built around us.
You might think this is not a case worth making, since reproductive freedom remains the law of the land. But you might not know that our statutes—laws currently on the books—make Wisconsin one of the worst states in the nation for comprehensive women’s healthcare.
We are one of only a few states with outdated laws banning almost all abortion procedures. There are no exceptions for rape, incest, or any health concern. A woman is only free to decide her own fate when two doctors certify that she will certainly die in childbirth, according to our statutes as they stand today.
Fortunately, Roe v. Wade declared Wisconsin’s law unconstitutional. But one wrong court decision could send Wisconsin women and their physicians back to the 1840s, when women couldn’t vote and even seeking an abortion could land her in prison for three and a half years. Physicians providing comprehensive healthcare services could face life in prison. And make no mistake—as much as the right rails against “activist judges,” they are doing everything they can to win such a decision in court.
That’s why this statute must be repealed, and soon. Inserting the government back into women’s private healthcare decisions would have a devastating impact on our families and our communities. What happens when a victim of rape or incest finds herself pregnant? Or when a planned pregnancy goes terribly wrong? Those situations are difficult enough, but without options—without the freedom to make your own medical decisions
—those situations become devastating, and maybe even deadly.
In fact, we know that when abortion is illegal, women die. Maternal deaths in this country dropped by 85% immediately following Roe v. Wade, and will certainly go back up if Roe is reversed. Without legal options, we will certainly lose women of all ages—women whose talents will never shine, whose potential will never be met.
Wisconsin’s legislature must decriminalize reproductive choice because women and their doctors deserve safe, legal healthcare options.
But let’s be clear: decriminalization will not immediately result in a sudden influx of “abortion on demand,” as some critics may claim. Abortion will remain heavily regulated in Wisconsin, and debate will undoubtedly continue on the impact, positive or negative, of those restrictions. But repeal of this statute will take an important step in ensuring that no woman is ever sent to prison just for taking control of her own future, and that no doctor is ever jailed for providing care that may be critical to a patient’s health and well-being.
Henry Sanders, Jr. is a Waunakee non-profit executive, small business owner, and Democratic candidate for Lieutenant Governor whom party leaders and grassroots activists favored by a 2-to-1 margin at the recent Democratic Convention. Read more about Sanders’ job creation and economic development experience athttp://www.henrysanders.org.
