Abortion Services Resume in Wisconsin; Met With Protests

Wednesday, September 20th, 2023 -- 12:01 PM

(By Sarah Lehr and Margaret Faust, Wisconsin Public Radio) After more than a year, Planned Parenthood is once again providing abortions in Wisconsin.

According to Sarah Lehr and Margaret Faust with Wisconsin Public radio, starting Monday, the group began offering abortion appointments at two locations, the Water Street Health Center in Milwaukee and the Madison East Health Center.

The decision follows a nearly 15-month period during which virtually no legal abortions were available in Wisconsin. Providers across Wisconsin stopped offering the procedure in June of 2022, when the U.S. Supreme Court struck down Roe v. Wade.

That's largely because of a long-dormant state law, which was widely interpreted as banning abortions unless they're done to save a pregnant person's life. But now Planned Parenthood of Wisconsin is citing a July ruling from Dane County Circuit Court Judge Diane Schlipper as evidence that the 19th century law actually bans feticide, when someone attacks a pregnant person and destroys the fetus, rather than abortions done with a patient's consent.

"In consultation with attorneys, physicians, partners and stakeholders, Planned Parenthood of Wisconsin is confident in our decision to resume abortion care in Wisconsin," Planned Parenthood of Wisconsin CEO Tanya Atkinson said in a video announcement Thursday.

In an interview with Wisconsin Public Radio on Monday, Atkinson said people began requesting abortion appointments immediately after Planned Parenthood announced the change.

"All of our appointment slots were full within 24 hours," Atkinson said. "So it's clear that the need is great." Meanwhile, at Planned Parenthood's Water Street clinic in Milwaukee, nearly 50 anti-abortion protestors had gathered by Monday morning to pray and sing.

Among them was Sarah Storms, who cited her Christian faith. "We view innocent pre-born children as our neighbor, and we have a duty to stand up and speak on their behalf as they're being led away to death," Storms said. "We have a special inspiration today because abortion laws against abortion in our state are being disregarded and not enforced by the authorities that be."

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