Madison, WI - Approximately 20,000 Wisconsin voters will receive mailers from Planned Parenthood Advocates of Wisconsin (PPAWI) today, as part of the second phase of Planned Parenthood's and NARAL Pro-Choice Wisconsin Foundation's "How Much Time Should She Do?" educational campaign.

The mailing follows a series of radio and online ads in Milwaukee, Green Bay and La Crosse, highlighting Representative Jim Ott (R-Mequon), Mark Honadel (R-South Milwaukee), Karl Van Roy (R-Green Bay) and Mike Huebsch (R-West Salem). All four representatives support Wisconsin's Criminal Abortion Statute (Wis. Stat. Sec 940.04) which outlaws abortion, even if a woman is the victim of rape.  Recently, they all voted to oppose an effort to fully protect rape victims from the possibility of prison if abortion becomes illegal in Wisconsin (Assembly Amendment 2 to AB 710). Furthermore, all four opposed the Compassionate Care for Rape Victims Act (AB 377), which ensures all rape victims have access to emergency birth control in Wisconsin hospitals.

Unfortunately, instead of engaging in meaningful dialogue, Representatives Jim Ott and Mark Honadel are resorting to inflammatory rhetoric in an attempt to obscure the truth of their votes. NARAL and Planned Parenthood stand behind the accuracy of the ads.

"Representatives Ott and Honadel, your actions speak louder than your words," stated PPAWI Executive Director Lisa Boyce. "You had a chance to exempt rape and incest victims. You voted against it. Until you vote in a manner consistent with your public statements, we will continue to expose your actions."

"Contrary to these politicians' claims, Wisconsin's statutes still pose a threat to women who seek abortion - even their own lawyer agrees that final interpretation of our state law will be up to a judge," said NARAL Pro-Choice Wisconsin Foundation Executive Director Kelda Helen Roys. "Unlike Representatives Ott and Honadel, i am not willing to leave open any possibility that prosecutors in Wisconsin could attempt to threaten rape victims who need an abortion with legal proceedings and prison time."

The Criminal Abortion Statute includes criminal penalties for women and physicians. Prosecutors could move immediately to enforce it if Roe v. Wade were to be reversed - a very real threat given the current composition of the U.S. Supreme Court. While the statute conflicts with Wis. Stat. Sec. 940.13, passed in 1985, which provides that women should not be prosecuted, courts would be left to determine whether prosecutions of women, including rape victims, could go forward. The only way to ensure that women, including rape victims, will never be subject to harassment, investigation, interrogation, prosecution, and imprisonment, is to remove the Criminal Abortion Statute from Wisconsin's lawbooks. Current and former legislative efforts in the 1980s and 1990s to repeal the Criminal Abortion Statute were defeated.

To view a detailed legal analysis describing the current state of Wisconsin's criminal abortion law and refuting Ott's and Honadel's claims, contact Andrea Gage at 414-213-3717 or andrea.gage@ppwi.org.

 

#   #   #