State of Wisconsin Archives: on Abortion

Tom Tiffany: No taxpayer dollars should fund abortions

Leah Vukmir: No exceptions, including rape, incest, or mother's life

Tammy Baldwin (D): Legal. Consistent support for making it the woman's choice.

Leah Vukmir (R): Ban "in all cases," with no exceptions, including rape, incest, or mother's life.

Q: Give Planned Parenthood public funds for non-abortion care?

Tammy Baldwin (D): Yes. Planned Parenthood provides "essential care & preventive services."

Leah Vukmir (R): No public funding for Planned Parenthood.

Q: Contraception: Let employers withhold coverage if disagree with it morally?

Tammy Baldwin (D): No. Considers critical to women's health.

Leah Vukmir (R): Yes. Prohibit mandatory contraceptive coverage.

Scott Walker: Ban abortion at 20 weeks; require ultrasound; close clinics

Tony Evers (D): Legal. Supports lifting restrictions on abortions. "Government shouldn't be making personal health decisions for women."

Scott Walker (R): Ban. "I've always been pro-life." Signed ban after with it morally?

Evers: No stand found.

Walker: Yes. Stopped enforcement of state's contraceptive coverage requirement for insurance companies.

Q: Let Planned Parenthood receive public funds for non-abortion health care?

Tammy Baldwin: Planned Parenthood provides essential services

Tammy Baldwin (D): Legal. Consistent support for making it the woman's choice.

Leah Vukmir (R): Ban "in all cases," with no exceptions, including rape, incest, or mother's life.

Q: Give Planned Parenthood public funds for non-abortion care?

Tammy Baldwin (D): Yes. Planned Parenthood provides "essential care & preventive services."

Leah Vukmir (R): No public funding for Planned Parenthood.

Q: Contraception: Let employers withhold coverage if disagree with it morally?

Tammy Baldwin (D): No. Considers critical to women's health.

Leah Vukmir (R): Yes. Prohibit mandatory contraceptive coverage.

Tony Evers: Government out of women's personal health decisions

Tony Evers (D): Legal. Supports lifting restrictions on abortions. "Government shouldn't be making personal health decisions for women & we shouldn't be treating physicians like criminals."

Scott Walker (R): Ban. "I've always been pro-life." Signed ban after 20 weeks with no exceptions for rape or incest. Required pre-abortion ultrasound.

Q: Allow employers to withhold contraceptive coverage from employees if disagree with it morally?

Evers: No stand found.

Walker: Yes. Stopped enforcement of state's contraceptive coverage requirement for insurance companies.

Q: Let Planned Parenthood receive public funds for non-abortion health care?

Evers: Yes. Reverse Walker's decision

Kelda Helen Roys: AdWatch: 1849 anti-abortion law is still on the books

Since the Supreme Court in Roe vs. Wade recognized a woman's constitutional right to an abortion in 1973, abortion has been legal. That includes Wisconsin. So, it's highly misleading to call abortion a crime in Wisconsin. And yet, Roys has a point.

In the ad, Roys says: "In Wisconsin, abortion is still a crime. And I can't believe that I'm having to fight the same fights that my grandmother fought."

Roys cited a Wisconsin law from 1849 which is still on the books. If Roe were overturned, regulating abortion would revert to the states, and the Wisconsin statute would again be in effect--although there are questions about whether it would be used immediately.

In sum, Roys' claim contains an element of truth, but ignores critical facts that would give a different impression. That's our definition of Mostly False

Phil Anderson: A fetus is an alive, individual human being

A: Oppose. A fetus is an alive, individual human being.

Kelda Helen Roys: Strongly support abortion as an unrestricted right

A: Strongly Support--Every woman has the right to safe and legal abortion services, family planning services, and reproductive health care.

Kathleen Vinehout: Respect woman's right to make her own decision on abortion

Bob Harlow: Support a woman's right to control her body

OnTheissues note: Judge Rebecca Bradley had written in 1992 in the Marquette Tribune that supporters of abortion on demand (such as newly elected president Bill Clinton) were murderers. That and other decades-old anti-choice and anti-gay statements were a major issue in Bradley's 2016 judgeship race, which Bradley won.

Mike Gallagher: Moral and civic duty to defend the right to life

Ron Johnson: Only allow abortion for rape, incest, and maternal life

Johnson: Abortions should be allowed in the case if rape and incest, or when the life of the mother is endangered

Ron Johnson: Roe v Wade decision was a tragedy

Feingold: No

Johnson: Yes. Believes Roe v Wade "was a tragedy."[1]

Q: On Contraception: Should employers be able to withhold contraceptive coverage from employees if they disagree with it morally?

Feingold: Likely no, implied from positions on women's access to health care.

Johnson: Yes

Q: On Healthcare: Should Planned Parenthood be eligible to receive public funds for non-abortion health services?

Feingold: Yes

Johnson: No

Russell Feingold: Supports public funding for Planned Parenthood

Feingold: No

Johnson: Yes. Believes Roe v Wade "was a tragedy."[1]

Q: On Contraception: Should employers be able to withhold contraceptive coverage from employees if they disagree with it morally?

Feingold: Likely no, implied from positions on women's access to health care.

Johnson: Yes

Q: On Healthcare: Should Planned Parenthood be eligible to receive public funds for non-abortion health services?

Feingold: Yes

Johnson: No

Scott Walker: Ban abortion except for life of mother after 20 weeks

Analysis by Politico.com (7/20/15)Abortion after 20 weeks is now illegal in Wisconsin--with no exceptions for rape or incest. The legislation makes performing an abortion a felony punishable by up to three and a half years in prison and $10,000 in fines. The only way abortions after 20 weeks are allowed is if the mother is likely to die or be severely injured. Anti-abortion activists have coalesced around 20 weeks because, they say, that's when fetuses begin to feel pain.

Legislative Outcome:Passed Senate 19-14-0 on Jun/9/15; Passed Assembly 61-34-2 on Jul/8/15; Signed by Governor Scott Walker on Jul/20/15

Mandela Barnes: Voted No on abortion ban after 20 weeks

Analysis by Politico.com (7/20/15)Abortion after 20 weeks is now illegal in Wisconsin--with no exceptions for rape or incest. The legislation makes performing an abortion a felony punishable by up to three and a half years in prison and $10,000 in fines. The only way abortions after 20 weeks are allowed is if the mother is likely to die or be severely injured. Anti-abortion activists have coalesced around 20 weeks because, they say, that's when fetuses begin to feel pain.

Legislative Outcome:Passed Senate 19-14-0 on Jun/9/15; Passed Assembly 61-34-2 on Jul/8/15; Rep. Barnes voted NO; Signed by Governor Scott Walker on Jul/20/15

Leah Vukmir: Ban abortion except for life of mother after 20 weeks

Analysis by Politico.com (7/20/15)Abortion after 20 weeks is now illegal in Wisconsin--with no exceptions for rape or incest. The legislation makes performing an abortion a felony punishable by up to three and a half years in prison and $10,000 in fines. The only way abortions after 20 weeks are allowed is if the mother is likely to die or be severely injured. Anti-abortion activists have coalesced around 20 weeks because, they say, that's when fetuses begin to feel pain.

Legislative Outcome:Passed Senate 19-14-0 on Jun/9/15; State Sen. Leah Vukmir voted YES; Passed Assembly 61-34-2 on Jul/8/15; Signed by Governor Scott Walker on Jul/20/15.

Scott Fitzgerald: Ban abortion except for life of mother after 20 weeks

Analysis by Politico.com (7/20/15)Abortion after 20 weeks is now illegal in Wisconsin--with no exceptions for rape or incest. The legislation makes performing an abortion a felony punishable by up to three and a half years in prison and $10,000 in fines. The only way abortions after 20 weeks are allowed is if the mother is likely to die or be severely injured. Anti-abortion activists have coalesced around 20 weeks because, they say, that's when fetuses begin to feel pain.

Legislative Outcome:Passed Senate 19-14-0 on Jun/9/15; State Sen. Fitzgerald voted YES; Passed Assembly 61-34-2 on Jul/8/15; Signed by Governor Scott Walker on Jul/20/15.

Tom Tiffany: Ban abortion except for life of mother after 20 weeks

Analysis by Politico.com (7/20/15)Abortion after 20 weeks is now illegal in Wisconsin--with no exceptions for rape or incest. The legislation makes performing an abortion a felony punishable by up to three and a half years in prison and $10,000 in fines. The only way abortions after 20 weeks are allowed is if the mother is likely to die or be severely injured. Anti-abortion activists have coalesced around 20 weeks because, they say, that's when fetuses begin to feel pain.

Legislative Outcome:Passed Senate 19-14-0 on Jun/9/15; State Sen. Tom Tiffany voted YES; Passed Assembly 61-34-2 on Jul/8/15; Signed by Governor Scott Walker on Jul/20/15.

Leah Vukmir: 100% pro-life

Glenn Grothman: Co-sponsored state Personhood Amendment

GROTHMAN: Strongly Agree

Q: Should abortion be allowed under extenuating circumstances?

GROTHMAN: I am the only Wisconsin State Senator to author and co-sponsor the Personhood Amendment to our state's constitution.

Glenn Grothman: Sanctity of life from conception until natural death

Glenn will continue to protect the sanctity of life at the national level and fight to win back the ground that has been lost at the hands of the federal government controlled by pro-abortion forces.

Mark Neumann: God-given rights begin at conception

Mark Neumann: Yes

Tommy Thompson: Yes

Tommy Thompson: God-given rights begin at conception

Mark Neumann: Yes

Tommy Thompson: Yes

John Schiess: Parental notification before performing abortions on minors

Schiess indicates support for the following principles regarding abortion.
• Abortions should be legal when the pregnancy resulted from incest or rape.
• Abortions should be legal when the life of the woman is endangered.
• Require clinics to give parental notification before performing abortions on minors.

John Schiess: No state funding of embryonic nor adult stem cell research

A: No.

Q: Do you support state funding of embryonic stem cell research?

A: No.

Tommy Thompson: Ban partial birth abortions

The governor also helped improve the health of Wisconsin families by:
• Making it easier and more affordable for families to adopt children.
• Banning the practice of partial birth abortions.