Press Room

For immediate release
January 23, 2008

Contact: Matt Sande, Director of Legislation, (262) 352-0890
or Virginia Zignego, Director of Communications, (262) 796-1111


State Assembly Forces Wisconsin Hospitals
to Provide Chemical Abortion

“Chemical Abortion Hospital Mandate” tramples conscience rights, says Pro-Life Wisconsin



Madison – The Wisconsin State Assembly today voted in favor of legislation mandating that all Wisconsin hospitals, regardless of religious affiliation, inform an alleged victim of sexual assault about “emergency contraception” and provide it upon her request. Assembly Bill (AB) 377, the “Chemical Abortion Hospital Mandate,” passed 61 to 35.

“It’s a sad day for Wisconsin,” said Peggy Hamill, state director of Pro-Life Wisconsin. “The state Assembly has shamefully ignored the fate of embryonic children by forcing Wisconsin hospitals to dispense a known abortion-causing drug to vulnerable women. In so doing, they have trampled upon the conscience rights of hospitals and hospital workers in blatant disregard of our federal and state constitutions which guarantee freedom of religious expression and liberty of conscience. This deadly legislation should never have been scheduled for floor action. That it passed the day after the 35th anniversary of Roe v. Wade is an added insult.”

Pro-Life Wisconsin’s primary opposition to AB 377 is based on the abortion-causing action of so-called “emergency contraception (EC)” which, under the bill, is defined to include both the morning-after pill and the intrauterine device (IUD). The morning-after pill can work in three ways: to suppress ovulation; to inhibit the mobility of sperm; and, after fertilization, to alter the lining of the uterus so that a newly conceived child is unable to implant in the womb, thus starving and dying. This last action is pre-implantation chemical abortion. The IUD always works to block implantation and therefore always causes an abortion.

Pro-Life Wisconsin commended the 34 Republican legislators and 1 Democrat legislator (Rep. Bob Ziegelbauer, D-Manitowoc) who voted against AB 377.

“We applaud these legislators who courageously held firm to their pro-life convictions and their sworn constitutional oaths,” said Matt Sande, PLW’s director of legislation. “That so many of their colleagues, Democrats and Republicans, flouted both their moral duty to protect preborn children and their legal duty to protect conscience rights is cause for great frustration and anger in the pro-life community. This is a day that will be long remembered.”

The 16 Republican representatives who voted in favor of AB 377 include: Terry Musser (R-Black River Falls), Jeff Wood (R-Chippewa Falls), J.A. Hines (R-Oxford), Dean Kaufert (R-Neenah), Brett Davis (R-Oregon), Terry Moulton (R-Chippewa Falls), Lee Nerison (R-Westby), Al Ott (R-Forest Junction), Jeff Stone (R-Greendale), Gary Tauchen (R-Bonduel), Sue Jeskewitz (R-Menomonee Falls), John Murtha (R-Baldwin), Kitty Rhoades (R-Hudson), Robin Vos (R-Racine), Steve Wieckert (R-Appleton) and Mary Williams (R-Medford).

Representing over 30,000 families across the state, Pro-Life Wisconsin will continue to defend the lives of preborn children and protect the conscience rights of medical professionals.

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