(File Photo by Kevin Mathewson, Kenosha County Eye)
On Friday January 19th, Rep. Amanda Nedweski (R-Pleasant Prairie) introduced Assembly Bill 975, legislation that would make the people of Wisconsin the decision makers on the issue of abortion. This legislation calls for a binding statewide referendum on the ballot for the April 2024 general election. An idea that has often been touted by Republican Senator Ron Johnson, this bill asks the citizens of our state to have the final say on an issue that has truly been difficult to find a consensus.
A recent decision by Dane County Circuit Court Judge Jane Schlipper, in a case brought by WI Attorney General Josh Kaul (D), ruled that Wisconsin’s 1849 law does not actually apply to consensual abortions, but that it only applies to feticide, defined as, “the intentional killing of a preborn child without maternal consent.” As a result of this December 5th ruling, elective abortions are currently being performed in Wisconsin under the law passed by Republicans in 2015 limiting elective abortions to a gestational age of not more than 20 weeks 253.107(3)(a).
Pro-Life organizations have declared that they believe the 1849 law is still in effect right now because Judge Schlipper did not issue an injunction against enforcing it while her decision is being appealed. However, Prosecutors in Dane, Milwaukee and Sheboygan County (respondents in the case) agreed they would abide by the judge’s ruling that state law permits consensual abortions, so the injunction was not necessary. An appeal in this case is likely to reach the Wisconsin State Supreme Court. With the court’s current liberal majority, an appeal to overturn Schlipper’s decision is unlikely to be successful.
With that explanation, it is a fact that elective abortions are now taking place in three counties under the 20 week rule. When passed in 2015, the 20 week rule was considered a victory for Republicans, reducing ambiguity about the definition of “viability” and at what point that stage is reached in pregnancy.
43 states prohibit some abortions after a point in time in pregnancy. Most European countries also limit abortion to early in the pregnancy. Last August, voters in the traditionally red state of Kansas rejected a proposed state constitutional amendment that would have declared that there was no right to an abortion in the state. The vote was 59% to 41%. In red Ohio, just over two months ago, 57% of voters decided that it’s an individual’s right to “make and carry out one’s own reproductive decisions,” effectively leaving room for abortion up until birth.
“Abortion up until birth is the extreme. The liberal majority on the WI State Supreme Court have signaled that they are in favor of the extreme on abortion, and they will likely look to ‘find’ a right to abortion in our state constitution. We did not elect Justices to legislate from the bench. Empowering the people of Wisconsin to affect abortion law directly in a referendum can save many lives by lowering the gestational age from 20 to 14 weeks, a first trimester standard that is common in most states and civilized countries.”A gestational age of 12-14 weeks marks the end of the first trimester in pregnancy. Allowing abortion well into the second trimester is rare throughout the U.S. and the rest of the civilized world.
A gestational age of 12-14 weeks marks the end of the first trimester in pregnancy. Allowing abortion well into the second trimester is rare throughout the U.S. and the rest of the civilized world. This proposed ballot question in AB 975 is responsive to standards that public opinion has deemed normal in many other states. No other aspects of Wisconsin’s existing abortion-related laws are changed with this legislation. There will still be exceptions for the life of the mother after 14 weeks, and all other waiting period and ultrasound requirements remain in place.
This proposed ballot question in AB 975 is responsive to standards that public opinion has deemed normal in many other states. No other aspects of Wisconsin’s existing abortion-related laws are changed with this legislation. There will still be exceptions for the life of the mother after 14 weeks, and all other waiting period and ultrasound requirements remain in place.
If passed in the State Assembly and Senate, AB 975 would go to Governor Evers to sign. He has already stated that he will veto any legislation that further restricts abortion access.
“I am absolutely unabashedly pro-life, and a move from 20 to 14 weeks would save thousands of lives. It’s a move in the right direction,” stated Rep. Nedweski. “Democrats don’t want a referendum because they know the truth – most people do not support their extreme stance of allowing abortion up until birth. Governor Evers and his supporters do not want the people to have a voice on abortion.”Upon approval by the legislature and further enactment, the question of changing the number of weeks at which an abortion can be performed from 20 to 14 weeks will appear on the April 2024 ballot. This bill simply gives the public the opportunity to weigh in on an issue that has remained highly contentious since the overturning of Roe v. Wade. This change in the law would only go into effect if approved in the statewide referendum.
65 Responses
An interesting idea. At least we will know where the voters actually stand on this issue.
So we can vote on murder? Let’s start with these politicians…..
At least we know now that these unabashedly pro-life conservatives really aren’t.
She’s a Vos-bot. Prior to the election, she was saying how she’s completely pro-life. Vos mentioned a referendum a couple of times.
She is so political and has no brain of her own. She follows Vos and Kerkman in whatever they tell her what to do. Need people who will stand up for what they believes in. She can’t because she has no independent thought.
We DO need people to stand up to what they believe in! Why would it matter if it’s 14 weeks or 20 weeks? What’s the benefit to this bill? What do you mean, we’re moving in the right direction. In what way? Killing a baby at any age is wrong! Do you really think that pro-abortionists are going to agree with this? They aren’t going to say “oh, having an abortion at 20 weeks is horrible, but I’m okay having it at 14 week” and vote FOR this bill? No. Pro-abortionists are not going to care. They do not want any restrictions on killing a baby.
Now, for the pro-life people out there. How will you sleep at night? Killing a baby is killing a baby. I just don’t know why it matters at what “stage “ of a baby’s growth in the womb to determine it’s ok to kill and not save. This bill should say NO abortion in Wisconsin. Instead, it’s making pro-life people compromise what they believe in. There will not be pro-abortionist vote FOR this bill, they will NOT compromise, but the Pro-life people will think it’s “in the right direction” and compromise by voting FOR it. To me, that’s going to the “other” side with the abortion group.
Evers is going to veto it either way. At least we are going in the right direction of less babies being murdered. Saying she is a Vos-bot… Politics is ugly, sometimes you have to play with the fire before you put it out. 😉
Nedweski has tried to give off the impression that she is an upstanding, moral individual. And— she may be. However, she has positioned herself to the slimiest person in WI politics. Regardless of her reasoning, this gives her the stink of a Vos-bot, or a politician who is willing to give up personal morals for political advancement.
……Sorry, Vos is a crafty politician.
If you want slimy, really slimy, look not further than Kenosha’s mayor which tied for slimy with Mike Gravely.
Then maybe you need to look a little bit deeper into Vos. Gravely and the Mayor are small potatoes when compared to Vos.
Vos’ wife is on the board for Racine GOP. She had the board/membership committee use the Steen donation records to deny Racine GOP membership to anyone who donated to Steen. And that’s pretty much the least-scuzzy thing that he’s done recently.
Surprised that so many lawyers and politicians keep mistakenly calling it the 1849 abortion law. Here’s what a federal court panel said in 1970:
“At common law, abortion was not a crime unless the mother was quick with child. People v. Belous, supra, 80 Cal.Rptr. at 358, 458 P.2d at 198. This position was reflected in the original Wisconsin abortion statute, Wis.R.S. 1849, c. 133, §§ 10 and 11, enacted in 1849, which made abortion a punishable offense only if performed upon an unborn quick child. However, in 1858 the abortion statute was revised by elimination of the word “quick,” thereby making it an offense to perform an abortion at any time during pregnancy. This change reflected an interest in protecting the life of the mother, for in 1858 any surgical procedure done inside the body was extremely dangerous.”
Babbitz v. McCann, 310 F. Supp. 293, 301 (E.D. Wis. 1970)
A referendum is a pretty good idea. Pro life will win and the Pro abortion won’t be able to blame the Republicans for it.
Pro Life will lose big
A quick Google search shows that
Is untrue
I agree “A” referendum is a good idea, but it should be for not killing the baby at all. Prolife people are compromising with the way this bill is written.
You shouldn’t be surprised my friend. You are an attorney and you conduct business in the courthouse. The level of many attorneys in this town is far from being the best. The only thing they read is the DA’s offer for their case. They don’t care about any case law, they only care about the check from the Public Defender’s Office once their client plead to. Sad as it sounds.
Does the child get a say, Amanda?
I think that was actually part of the original 1849 law and the 1970 federal court ruling on the 1858 (presumptively current) law. There was a dividing line between the mother’s right to privacy and bodily autonomy and right to life and that was when the fetus was quick (around 15-16 weeks).
An outright abortion ban would probably not survive a vote. The governor has promised to veto this but an argument can be made that it is a commonsense measure.
It’s not a child. It’s an embryo, or at best, a fetus and therefore has no say over anything.
Didn’t you used to be an embryo or a fetus? Even though I disagree with you on the topic of murdering children, I’m glad that your mother chose not to murder you
They are not children, Kevin.
Edna, you need to SEE an abortion..
And dont tell us you have because we will not believe u and u will look stupid, really stupid.
https://wisconsinrighttolife.org/pictures-of-aborted-babies-view/
To think that any one of the million killed could have saved u from your worst medical issue…look what u did to yourself, your parents, your kids, your best friends….
You can’t really be this stupid ,
can you ?
So, Edna, are you cool with murdering puppies? Taking bags of puppies and ripping them apart before vacuuming up the pieces? They’re not children.
People like Edna would scream at the thought of something like this being done to an animal yet no value for human life.
Because they’re alive, living outside of the host being. Your UNBORN, FETUS can’t survive outside of the host, therefore it is not a child, it is a FETUS. Pick up a science book. It really isn’t that hard. If it can’t survive outside of the host, then it is a part of the host and therefore the host has 100% decision making and control of what to do with their body. Just like you not wanting a jab because the government can’t tell you what to do with your body or your healthcare…you can’t do the same for pregnant women or trans people. YOU are nothing in the grand scheme of things, just like I am. Why are you so obsessed with other people’s reproductive areas?
But, lets be pro-life for a bit. Since you all claim to be PRO-LIFE. Since you will all be requiring the fetuses to survive and become babies, will you be adopting them? Will you be paying to support orphanages? Are you okay with us increasing your taxes to ensure the mother and child are taken care of at birth, what about in the first 2 years of life? Will you still be there when that child turns 10 helping to make sure they have the food, water, shelter, care, they need to survive? What about when they realize they are transgender? Will you still care about them? Will you still protect them or will you push them as you are and leading them to kill themselves…because you all are killing REAL children not fetuses with your harmful legislation. Lets start with taking care of the living, breathing beings first, then we can focus on the soon to be.
Yes Anonymous. The majority of my foster parent friends and those who adopted ARE CONSERVATIVE because they actually value life. I’d be curious to see your reaction if such a procedure was performed on a puppy…
To use your language, a puppy fetus. I bet you would have more respect for its life. #Sicko
Requiring birth? This resolution allows for 14 weeks…do you realize that? That’s not enough time for the mother to decide if she will end the life of an unborn fetus? That’s not enough for you? The left won’t be happy until they are allowed to murder babies as they are being birthed.
And yes we do pay for government assistance programs. Programs that are overused, abused, and not monitored at all.
So….she supports a referendum for this now but wouldn’t support one for the casino in Kenosha. Follow the money….that drives all she does.
I WAS JUST ABOUT TO POST THIS! Well said Anon!
Let the liberals and democrats have as many abortions as they like. They are just killing off their future voting base which is trash to begin with.
FREE ABORTIONS FOR DEMOCRATS!
GIVE EM OUT LIKE CANDY, AMERICA WILL BE BETTER OFF!
Yea, Sort of like how Covid deniers died in very high numbers. Those dead Covid deniers can no longer vote for Trump.
🤣😂🤣😂🤣😂😂
I never got injected with that poison , and I’m not dead. Just wait until they release the next one that will target those with altered DNA…
More power to you. You are alive. However, many COVID deniers died of COVID. They would have benefited from the vaccine and would be alive today, but they listened to a group of stupid people. They can never vote again. Even you buddy Trump got the vaccine. What a coward. He did not want the members of his cult to know that he did.
I work in healthcare and many more vaccinated died than non vaccinated. So, there’s that bit of news for you. And the ones getting covid most often were vaccinated.
Spoken like a true Branch Covidian. Keep getting your boosters, I’m sure you’ll be fine. Nevermind the mountains of data coming out.
I had 4 siblings and a 94 year old mother. Three got the shots, three did not. Two died this year. Guess who? The vaccinated siblings. Unvaccinated 94 year old mother is one of those who lives on.
Not to mention all of the future criminals up in Milwaukee.
This is good.
I might have voted for a non-lifer only because that person was the better option of those presented to me.
This lets the majority win and will tell for sure, what our state is – pro life or pro death.
It also lets us bypass those who arent entirely truthful when they campaign and lie to win,
It must be binding or would not be worth the effort.
Wonder if Leyrnne is hiding an abortion.
I’ll be interested to see how they phrase this. I’m opposed to abortion (ACTUAL abortion) under any circumstance. Keep in mind, miscarriages, ectopic pregnancies, and many other procedures to save the life of the Mother, are not coded as abortions. So, if this allows for abortion prior to 14 weeks, many of us who are ACTUALLY pro-life will vote against it. I say ACTUALLY pro-life, because this proposed referendum proves that Nedweski & Vos are actually pro-choice.
Abortion is inherently evil, and cooperation with abortion, no matter intention, is also evil. Nedweski, Vos, Moses… they’re all opening a door that they won’t be able to close.
Pray for their eternal souls, they’re going to need them.
Exactly. I think that Pro-life will be compromising what they believe in if they are true pro-life. This is not a PRO-life referendum.
Probably a very good strategic move!
It’s likely Evers won’t allow it to go to a vote at which point Dems lose a really strong campaign issue. Democrats are really big on “let the people decide” which of course is the last thing they want…..that is why they are big on “advisory” referendums instead of binding ones. So if Evers blocks the public from voting on the issue he becomes the bad guy.
So, just might be a really good move by Nedweski and fellow Republicans.
On this issue Democrats are really big on “let the woman decide,” rather than politicians and other strangers who have no business trying to tell her what she can and cannot do.
Did you share the same view with the shot? Our body our choice? Or do you believe in forced medical decisions for everybody, but allow women to kill babies?
You struck a nerve with the boss!You go Kevin!
My body my choice can apply to manu things, but when it involves the life of another, that goes out the window. Such ignorance. When a woman is trying to get pregnant, it is joyous and the couple celebrates the life from the moment they discover they have created new life. But when they decide they want to throw life away, all of s sudden it’s women’s productive healthcare. You guys are good at twisting words. Anyone with half a brain can figure out you are ending the life of another.
The Republicans bring it to the people but you’re not happy because it’s not extreme enough. For the Republicans frying their own… we will end up with all liberals who will allow babies to be murdered up until birth if you keep at it…
“Planned Parenthood started as a white initiative to reduce black people from growing in population. Is it wrong to be skeptical regarding those who are pro-choice?”
Perhaps ‘Edna’ will comment.
True story
Lets put this on the november ballot when more people will vote, or do you not really care about the will of the majority of voters? I would bet, similar to Ohio, yall wouldn’t like ANY Abortion related amendment to hit a Presidential ballot because a larger section of the populace votes in Presidential elections compared to Primary and non-Presidential elections.
While we are at it, lets follow Ohio more and add the Cannabis referendum as well. Since the republicans in the State House are proposing the most restrictive, and governmental involved medical cannabis program in the country…but again, the will of the people will not align with the will of those in office because those in office don’t actually represent the majority of the state (just look at the numbers of statewide elections).
Otherwise, Amanda is a pawn, has no original thought and is only, like many conservatives, speak out of both sides of her mouth and is trying to make a name for herself rather than work for the people. But that is our system of government, make a name and soundbyte but not a bill that has any chance of success.
Why not move to Ohio?
Pro-Life WI & WI Right to Life are both calling this an anti-life bill. All it would take is for another pro-life candidate to run against them, and Vos & Nedweski would lose the endorsement of these organizations, and they would then likely lose re-election.
*sais?
This is yet another excuse for people to be able to do whatever they want without worrying about self control.
Everyone knows how babies are made, even my 9 year old. It’s not a secret, a mystery, or a surprise. Rape accounts for roughly 1% of abortions, and even then— when promptly reported, there are medications that the hospital can administer, that are extremely effective in preventing fertilization/implantation.
This bill is an excuse for a long list of RINOs who are at risk of losing their seat due to Evers’ gerrymandering, to try to appeal to both sides. Read who is on the list of sponsors and co-sponsors, then VOTE FOR SOMEONE ELSE at the next available opportunity. Leaving the circle blank, and telling them you’re not voting for them AND WHY when they knock on your door, is also an option.
The way the people should have gotten a direct voice on the Kenosha casino?
You all sound like a bunch of Nazi’s telling a woman what she has to do with her body.
Why are you so persistent that some woman must be forced to carry a child?
This is America. People should be have the choice to do what they want with their body.
You say that people should be able to decide if they want to be vaccinated or not, but you want to control a woman’s choice?
You’re an idiot.
The only time women are forced to be pregnant is through rape. Less than 1% of abortions in this country are done due to rape. In the occurrence of rap/sexual assault, if treatment is sought, there are medications that can be administered to prevent ovulation and/or implantation.
We know what causes pregnancy. Forcing people to be responsible in their choices is NOT forcing a woman to carry a pregnancy. The time to make the choice is BEFORE intercourse.
Rape, not rap/sexual assault.
Government control? I think so.
No more so than the government making other laws about not being able to end the lives of individuals.
Evers Gerrymander? Clown world you live in.