La Crosse area politicians, candidates react to abortion ruling
LA CROSSE (WKBT) – Reactions to the Supreme Court decision striking down abortion as a constitutional right continue to pour in. Here’s what those holding or running for public office closer to home have said so far.
Senator Tammy Baldwin (D)
“An activist majority of the Supreme Court has overturned Roe and nearly 50 years of precedent, taking away the constitutional rights of American women to make their own personal choices about their body, their health, and their family. Republicans have taken Wisconsin women back to 1849 and it is Republicans who want to keep us there with support for having politicians interfere in the freedoms of women who will now have fewer rights than their mothers and grandmothers have had for decades. I ask people to join this fight with their voices and their votes because we will not be taken back, we will move forward.”
Senator Ron Johnson (R)
“Today is a victory for life and for those who have fought for decades to protect the unborn. For almost fifty years the decision of nine unelected Justices have prevented a democratically derived consensus on the profound moral issue of abortion to be formed. This decision will now allow that democratic process to unfold in each state to determine at what point does society have the responsibility to protect life. Hopefully, the debate will be conducted with sincerity, compassion, and respect for the broad range of views that people hold.”
Derrick Van Orden (R) Candidate for 3rd Congressional District
“I believe that every child is a child of God, and today’s decision is a major milestone for the sanctity of life.”
Congressman Ron Kind (D) 3rd Congressional District
“For nearly half a century, women have been able to make personal decisions about their reproductive health, their lives, and their futures without interference from the government. Removing this fundamental right will have devastating consequences for women and families across the nation. Today’s decision to overturn Roe v. Wade means that millions of women will be living with fewer freedoms than their mothers and grandmothers, and puts every American’s right to privacy on shaky ground. We can’t go backwards. Last year I voted to codify the rights Roe v. Wade protected and the Senate must act with urgency to do the same.”
Rep. Jill Billings (D) 95th Assembly District
“Conservative extremists on the U.S. Supreme Court today overturned the 50 year precedent of Roe v. Wade, resulting in the restriction of the right to bodily autonomy for over 50% of Americans. This Court’s action will not reduce the number of abortions that occur in Wisconsin and in our country but will instead make abortion harder to access and less safe. The decision if and when to start a family is one of the most personal decisions one can make. Politicians and Supreme Court Justices have no place in these personal healthcare decisions. It is vital that we end Wisconsin’s archaic 1849 criminal abortion ban. It is absolutely shameful that on Wednesday, Republican Legislators ignored the will of the people of Wisconsin and snubbed the Governor’s Special Session on reproductive freedom. Their inaction, in conjunction with today’s U.S. Supreme Court decision will have serious, lasting consequences on the health and freedom of our friends, families, neighbors, and communities. I will not stop fighting until the right to access comprehensive reproductive healthcare in Wisconsin is restored.”
Patrick Testin (R) 24th Senate District
“After nearly fifty years and over 63 million lives lost to abortion, the U.S. Supreme Court has finally turned the page on a sad chapter in American history. Abortion is not health care; it is not birth control. It is the taking of a human life. I will do my part to ensure that Wisconsin values and affirms life at all stages.”
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