Citizens, health care providers, and faith leaders from around Wisconsin spoke out against criminalizing abortion yesterday at a hearing before the Senate Committee on Health, Human Services, Insurance and Job Creation.  NARAL Pro-Choice Wisconsin joined these citizens in testifying in favor of the Women's Health & Safety Act, SB 398.

"We cannot turn back the clock - when abortion is illegal, women die," said Kelda Helen Roys, executive director of NARAL Pro-Choice Wisconsin, the political leader of the pro-choice movement.  "The legislature must pass this bill to ensure that Wisconsin women are never again treated like criminals for having an abortion."

The bill would repeal an archaic law that makes it a felony to have or assist a woman in having an abortion.  It contains no exceptions for circumstances where a woman's health is jeopardized, nor for victims of rape or incest.

"Criminalizing abortion doesn't reduce abortion - it only makes it extremely dangerous," continued Roys.  "We urge legislators to pass the Women's Health & Safety Act so that Wisconsin women will never be forced into the back alleys again."  She noted that many politicians who want to criminalize abortion also oppose birth control, sex education and providing pre-natal care for poor women.

Wisconsin's criminal abortion ban, dating from the 1840s, remains in Wisconsin's statues despite being unconstitutional under Roe v. Wade.  Legal experts agree that the US Supreme Court, with President Bush's two newest anti-choice appointments, is likely to further gut or overturn Roe, which would mean Wisconsin's criminal abortion ban would once again go into effect.  Wisconsin is one of only four states with such a law still on the books, and the only state with a law that provides criminal penalties for women obtaining abortions.  Conflicting statutes mean that courts would have to resolve the issue of whether and for how long a woman could be imprisoned for having an abortion.

Extensive research, including a large study recently published in The Lancet, have shown that countries with the most restrictive laws, and those that ban abortion, actually have higher abortion rates than countries where abortion and contraception are safe, legal and accessible.

NARAL Pro-Choice Wisconsin works to protect the right to choose and also to reduce the need for abortion through access to comprehensive, medically accurate sex education, reliable and affordable contraception and preventative health care for all women.