Latest news with #PlannedParenthoodofWisconsin
Boston Globe
02-07-2025
- Politics
- Boston Globe
Wisconsin Supreme Court's liberal majority strikes down 176-year-old abortion ban
Wisconsin Attorney General Josh Kaul, a Democrat, filed a lawsuit that year arguing that the ban was trumped by abortion restrictions legislators enacted during the nearly half-century that Roe was in effect. Kaul specifically cited a 1985 law that essentially permits abortions until viability. Some babies can survive with medical help after 21 weeks of gestation. Get Starting Point A guide through the most important stories of the morning, delivered Monday through Friday. Enter Email Sign Up Sheboygan County District Attorney Joel Urmanski, a Republican, defended the ban in court, arguing that the 1849 ban could coexist with the newer abortion restrictions, just as different penalties for the same crime coexist. Advertisement Dane County Circuit Judge Diane Schlipper ruled in 2023 that the 1849 ban outlaws feticide — which she defined as the killing of a fetus without the mother's consent — but not consensual abortions. Abortions have been available in the state since that ruling but the state Supreme Court decision gives providers and patients more certainty that abortions will remain legal in Wisconsin. Advertisement Urmanski asked the state Supreme Court to overturn Schlipper's ruling without waiting for a decision from a lower appellate court. It was expected as soon as the justices took the case that they would overturn the ban. Liberals hold a 4-3 majority on the court and one of them, Janet Protasiewicz, openly stated on the campaign trail that she supports abortion rights. Democratic-backed Susan Crawford defeated conservative Brad Schimel for an open seat on the court in April, ensuring liberals will maintain their 4-3 edge until at least 2028. Crawford has not been sworn in yet and was not part of Wednesday's ruling. She'll play pivotal role, though, in a separate Planned Parenthood of Wisconsin lawsuit challenging the 1849 ban's constitutionality. The high court decided last year to take that case. It's still pending.
Yahoo
10-06-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Survey finds majority of Wisconsinites support Planned Parenthood and abortion access
Planned Parenthood Advocates of Wisconsin President and CEO Tanya Atkinson stood alongside Wisconsin Democrats to introduce the bill in May, saying it was the 'next step in protecting and securing full reproductive freedom for people in Wisconsin.' (Photo by Baylor Spears/Wisconsin Examiner) A majority of Wisconsinites support allowing access to abortion according to recent polling commissioned by Planned Parenthood of Wisconsin and A Better Wisconsin Together. The online poll conducted by the D.C.-based Hart Research Associates between March 21 and March 28 got feedback from 605 registered voters in Wisconsin as a way of understanding perspectives on abortion in the state. Planned Parenthood is facing the possibility of being cut off from Medicaid funds under Donald Trump and House Republicans' budget reconciliation package and Wisconsin Republicans recently reaffirmed their commitment to enforcing a strict statewide abortion ban. The poll found that 45% of voters are 'base supporters' of abortion, meaning they personally support the right to abortion and believe it should be legal, while 34% were 'soft supporters' meaning they are personally against abortion but oppose government restrictions. Planned Parenthood Advocates of Wisconsin President and CEO Tanya Atkinson said in a statement that the poll confirms the 'overwhelming' support across the state for abortion care access and for Planned Parenthood. 'That Wisconsin Republicans in Congress, in the State Legislature and in their own political party platform continue to endorse policies and enact cuts to essential care despite broad support from their constituents is devastating,' Atkinson said. 'These cuts mean Wisconsinites will lose access to birth control, wellness visits, STI tests and cancer screenings. This isn't just about abortion — it's about whether people can count on the care they need, when they need it.' About 69% of survey participants reported a 'favorable' view of Planned Parenthood of Wisconsin. Lucy Ripp, communications director for A Better Wisconsin Together, said in a statement that the poll shows that Planned Parenthood is 'a healthcare provider that Wisconsinites overwhelmingly support and rely on for quality healthcare access.' The poll found that 74% of voters think abortion is at risk nationally and 71% said it is at risk on a statewide level. Wisconsin Republicans approved a resolution at their state convention in May that calls for the enforcement of a criminal 1849 law, which effectively banned abortion in the state following the overturn of Roe v. Wade in 2022. A Dane County judge ruled that the law doesn't apply to abortion, though the decision was appealed and is currently before the Wisconsin Supreme Court. Democrats, meanwhile, have introduced a proposal that would repeal the 1849 law as well as an array of other laws on the books in Wisconsin that restrict abortion access, including a state-mandated requirement that patients have two appointments before an abortion, a requirement that doctors must provide a state-mandated booklet that contains medically inaccurate information, an ultrasound requirement and a law that stops physician assistants, nurse practitioners and APRNs from performing abortions. The bill would also repeal state laws that prohibit coverage of abortion care under insurance plans for public employees, plans on the Affordable Care Act's marketplace for Wisconsin and under BadgerCare. Federal law also bans the use of federal money for abortion with exceptions in the case that a pregnancy endangers the life of a pregnant person or is the result of rape or incest. The poll also found that 78% of voters support protecting health care professionals from criminal charges related to providing abortion care, that 72% of voters favor allowing advanced health care providers like nurse practitioners and midwives to provide abortion care, 70% favor funding for health care clinics that provide abortion care and 68% favor Medicaid and Badgercare coverage for abortion care. Atkinson stood alongside Wisconsin Democrats to introduce the bill in May, saying it was the 'next step in protecting and securing full reproductive freedom for people in Wisconsin.' The bill has not progressed in the Republican-led Legislature, though the authors of the bill Rep. Lisa Subeck (D-Madison) and Sen. Kelda Roys (D-Madison) have said they plan to continue to advocate for better abortion access in the state, even if it has to wait until next session. 'This legislation is about making a future here in Wisconsin, where everyone has access to the health care in need, where every single person has the ability to thrive. This is legislation that Wisconsinites broadly support, that Americans broadly support,' Roys said. '[The] only people who don't broadly support it are the Republican politicians who have gerrymandered themselves away from any voter accountability that is coming to an end. We will be getting a hearing on this bill if it's not this session, it will be next session back — mark my words.' Democrats in Wisconsin and nationally have used abortion as a motivator in elections since 2022, including in key state Supreme Court elections and in competitive state legislative races. State Democrats are aiming to win a trifecta in 2026 and need to flip the Assembly and Senate to do so — a goal that could be within their reach under the legislative maps put in place last year. The last time Democrats held majorities in the state Legislature was during the 2009-2010 legislative session The survey also asked participants about their electoral preferences, finding that 62% of respondents said they were more likely to vote for a candidate who supports guaranteeing legal abortion while 57% said they would vote against a candidate who wants to make abortion illegal. The poll also found that 70% of voters would support a referendum that guarantees the legal right to an abortion in Wisconsin if it appeared on ballots. It also found that 81% of voters support passing legislation to conduct a statewide referendum on abortion. Wisconsin does not have a voter-led ballot initiative process. There is a process to allow voters to decide whether to ratify a law through a referendum, but under that, it would need to be passed by the Legislature and signed by Gov. Tony Evers. Democrats and Republicans have at times expressed support for placing a question about abortion on the ballot — both advisory and binding — though neither has agreed on the details. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX
Yahoo
04-06-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Who is Chris Taylor? Where Wisconsin Supreme Court candidate stands on abortion rights, voter ID
MADISON - The field is taking shape for next year's Wisconsin Supreme Court election with liberal state Appeals Court Judge Chris Taylor launching her bid to unseat conservative Wisconsin Supreme Court Justice Rebecca Bradley in the spring 2026 election. While state Supreme Court races are officially nonpartisan, justices on the court typically lean liberal or conservative. In recent years, the race has become increasingly polarized, with partisan groups continuing to back their party's preferred candidate. Liberal candidates have won four of the last five Supreme Court elections. In 2023, the court flipped to a liberal majority for the first time in at least 15 years with the election of Justice Janet Protasiewicz. Justice-elect Susan Crawford's victory over conservative Waukesha County Circuit Judge Brad Schimel in the April 1 election cemented the court's 4-3 liberal majority through 2028, during which the court is considering issues including abortion and union rights. Here's what to know about Taylor, including her legal system experience, positions on key issues, education and more. Taylor has served as a judge on the Wisconsin Court of Appeals for District IV, headquartered in Madison, since 2023. Her term expires July 31, 2029, according to the court's website. Over the course of her 30-year legal career, Taylor said she has worked to make sure "the law is used to protect Wisconsinites, their rights and freedoms." Before Gov. Tony Evers appointed Taylor to the Dane County Circuit Court in 2020, she served in the state Legislature, where she was known as one of the most liberal members. Taylor also worked as a private practice attorney in Milwaukee and Madison from 1996 to 2002 before becoming a public policy director for Planned Parenthood of Wisconsin. Taylor is 57. Taylor lives in Madison with her husband, James Feldman, and their two sons. She grew up in Los Angeles. Taylor received her bachelor's degree from the University of Pennsylvania in 1990. She then attended the University of Wisconsin Law School, graduating in 1995. Taylor's campaign has officially been endorsed by the liberal majority, Justices Rebecca Dallet, Jill Karofsky and Janet Protasiewicz. Crawford also endorsed Taylor. 'Having served alongside Judge Taylor on the Circuit Court, I know she cares deeply about the people of Wisconsin and is dedicated to making sure that our justice system protects their fundamental rights," Crawford said in a statement on May 21. Taylor served as a public policy director for Planned Parenthood of Wisconsin before joining the state Assembly in 2011. She said whether she would recuse herself from cases involving the organization would depend on the case. "I would not categorically say because I worked for Planned Parenthood 15 years ago that I can't hear a case on reproductive health care," Taylor told the Journal Sentinel. "That would be like a judge who worked for a law firm 15 years ago who would say, 'Well I can never take a case from that law firm.'" In Wisconsin, abortion rights have remained a flash point in Wisconsin Supreme Court races with both Protasiewicz and Crawford's campaigns using it as a rallying issue. The Wisconsin Supreme Court is expected to issue a ruling soon on whether the state's 1849 law specifically bans abortions or whether more recent laws or court rulings override it. While the court has agreed to hear another case brought by Planned Parenthood seeking to make abortion a constitutional right, the court has yet to schedule a date for oral arguments. The case will most likely be heard before the winner of the spring 2026 election takes their seat. As a lawmaker, Taylor weighed in on issues including the "lame-duck" laws that the Republican-controlled Legislature passed to scale back the powers of the incoming Democratic governor and attorney general following Republican losses in the 2018 election. Litigation over the legislation is before the court. As a judge, Taylor said, she is not working as an advocate, and as a justice, she would decide on a case-by-case basis whether to recuse herself from litigation on underlying legislation she had voted on as a lawmaker. During her time on the Appeals Court, Taylor said she has reviewed laws passed during her time in the state Legislature and hasn't run into issues being fair and impartial. During her time in the state Legislature, Taylor called on Republican leadership to release funding for a comprehensive voter ID informational campaign after voters were turned away from the polls in the spring 2016 election. The League of Women Voters joined Taylor in that effort. Under Wisconsin's voter ID law, the state was required to fund a public information campaign to educate voters on the new law and the identification needed to vote. Taylor, a lawmaker at the time, said the spring elections revealed the state failed to fulfill its "obligation to educate voters about this convoluted, nonsensical new law" as many Wisconsinites lacked the proper documentation to successfully vote. 'While we know suppressing our ability to vote is the true intention behind this Voter ID legislation,' Taylor said in a press release in 2016. 'As I tell my kids at home, if you're going to change the rules, you need to let everyone else know. The solution here is simple — the GOP just needs to follow the law that they wrote.' Taylor has been a vocal opponent of Act 10, a 13-year-old law signed by former Gov. Scott Walker that banned most collective bargaining rights for public employees. In December, a Dane County judge struck down most of the law and in February, the Wisconsin Supreme Court denied a petition to bypass the court of appeals and take up the case directly. The case now sits in the appeals court and if the ruling is appealed again, it would then go to the state Supreme Court. Currently, the judge placed his ruling on hold, meaning the law is in effect as it moves through the courts. Taylor will face off against incumbent Bradley on April 7, 2026. A primary, if necessary, will be held on Feb. 17. The winner's 10-year term would begin in August 2026. If Taylor wins the seat, the court's liberal majority will grow to 5-2. This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: What to know about Chris Taylor, Wisconsin Supreme Court candidate
Yahoo
25-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Planned Parenthood calls on the Schimel campaign to take down an ad aimed at transgender youth
Planned Parenthood of Wisconsin is calling on conservative Wisconsin Supreme Court candidate Brad Schimel to take down a new campaign advertisement targeting transgender children. Attorneys representing the reproductive rights group sent the Schimel campaign a cease-and-desist letter Friday over the new ad, which accuses Planned Parenthood of providing "puberty-blocking drugs to children without parents' consent." "Planned Parenthood of Wisconsin does not provide puberty blockers to minors with or without parental consent," the group said in a statement. "The claim made and cited in the ad is demonstrably false and intentionally misleading." More: All our reporting on the Wisconsin Supreme Court race between Susan Crawford, Brad Schimel The group called on Schimel to stop "distributing or sharing the ad through any means." "The false and misleading information in the ad harms both the health care provider and its patients," Planned Parenthood said. In a statement to the Journal Sentinel, Schimel spokesman Jacob Fischer accused Planned Parenthood of "desperately trying to deprive voters of information days before an election." The ad is the latest attempt by conservatives to emphasize transgender issues in the final days of the high-stakes campaign between Schimel, a Waukesha County judge, and liberal Dane County Judge Susan Crawford. The April 1 election will decide whether liberals or conservatives control the state's highest court. Republicans made transgender issues a line of attack in last fall's election that returned Donald Trump to the presidency, under a strategy to paint Democrats as "extreme." More: Republicans take up votes on transgender youth bills. What will Democrats do in wake of 2024 election? The Crawford campaign responded with its own ad, claiming, "Brad Schimel is lying about Susan Crawford's views on protecting kids." The race has shattered previous spending records. An election watchdog estimates that the two campaigns and the third-party groups will spend $100 million on the election. The Crawford campaign announced Monday that it has raised more than $24 million as of the beginning of last week, a national record for a judicial race. Updated totals have put her fund-raising to more than $26 million. More: Here are the groups behind the heavy spending in Wisconsin's Supreme Court race Last week, a new unregistered political group flooded cell phones across the state with text messages targeting transgender children. The texts said they were paid for by "Win Wisconsin, Win the Future." And Kate Mikkelsen, the parent of a transgender child in the Milwaukee area, said the ads are fear-mongering. "It's not radical to protect the rights of marginalized people who don't fit one narrow view of how to live one's life. It's American," she said. "Those rights are inalienable, remember?" Mikkelsen urged people to learn how laws "can either help or hurt transgender people." "Wisconsin is full of good people. I hope they can see through the scary, fear-mongering political ad tactics and love this community the way our family does and all families deserve," she said. This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Planned Parenthood calls on Brad Schimel to end transgender youth ad
