Supreme Court's Ruling in Ayotte v. Planned Parenthood Underscores Threat to Choice
Confirmation of Samuel Alito Could Eviscerate Core Protections of Roe v. Wade
Madison, WI – Today, the Supreme Court re-affirmed precedent that requires abortion restrictions to contain adequate protections for women’s health and emergency situations. The Court, however, declined to invalidate the law in its entirety – a departure from past cases, where unconstitutional restrictions would be held unenforceable. The case before the Court involved restrictions on abortion that lacked exceptions to protect women in health-threatening or emergency situations.
“The Supreme Court is the last stop for women who could be harmed by coercive, dangerous restrictions on medical care,” said Kelda Helen Roys, executive director of NARAL Pro-Choice Wisconsin and an attorney. “The religious right is only one Justice away from achieving their goal of eviscerating the right to choose for millions of women. Confirming anti-choice nominee Samuel Alito in place of Justice O’Connor would be devastating to our freedoms and safety.”
Anti-choice, anti-birth control state legislators in Wisconsin have proposed over a dozen anti-choice measures during this session, even though many of the proposals are unconstitutional. “The Supreme Court has protected women from the most draconian restrictions on health care and privacy, but all that could change if Alito is confirmed,” said Roys.
NARAL Pro-Choice Wisconsin has been mobilizing its statewide membership for months in opposition to Alito, and works to stop anti-choice legislation and increase access to comprehensive reproductive health care.
Under current Wisconsin law, abortion is heavily restricted – parental consent, mandatory waiting periods, biased counseling, and other measures have been enacted. For a list of current legislation affecting reproductive health, visit http://www.prochoicewisconsin.org/s04politicalupdates/legupdates.shtml.
Contact: Kelda Helen Roys, 608-213-4502
###
| 
