Republicans Refuse to Discuss 1849 Abortion Ban Repeal

MADISON – Today, Assembly Republicans voted to table an amendment offered by Democrats that would have repealed an 1849 ban on abortion in Wisconsin. Abortion services in Wisconsin ceased last year when the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade through its Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health decision and have remained unavailable while a challenge to the 1849 ban is considered by state courts. Wisconsin’s abortion ban is the oldest in the nation, enacted prior to the Civil War and women being allowed to vote, and it subjects physicians who provide abortions to felony charges and prison time for providing needed health care to their patients.

“Republicans have refused at every turn to even discuss repealing Wisconsin’s archaic abortion ban, so we should not be surprised that they again rejected the opportunity to consider repeal. Despite this setback, we will continue to work to restore access to abortion and fight for reproductive rights in Wisconsin,” said Representative Lisa Subeck, “The amendment we proposed today would have restored the freedom to determine our own futures and make our own reproductive health decisions without interference by politicians.”

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