Culture and Social Issues

Planned Parenthood Will Resume Abortions In Wisconsin After Court Ruling

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Planned Parenthood will resume performing abortions in two Wisconsin locations on Monday after a county court ruled that a pre-existing state law does not actually outlaw abortion, according to a Planned Parenthood of Wisconsin press release.

Dane County Circuit Judge Diane Schlipper ruled in July that a lawsuit against the state’s abortion ban could move forward on the grounds that Wisconsin’s 1849 law does not specifically use the word “abortion,” and that it only prohibits a person attacking a woman to kill her unborn child, the Associated Press reported. Planned Parenthood of Wisconsin will resume performing abortions at its Milwaukee and Madison locations after they stopped offering the procedure in June 2022 following the Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe v. Wade, according to the press release.

“With patients and community as our central priority and driving force, we are eager to resume abortion services and provide this essential care to people in our State,” Tanya Atkinson, the president and CEO of Planned Parenthood of Wisconsin, said in the press release. “With the recent confirmation from the Court that there is not an enforceable abortion ban in Wisconsin, our staff can now provide the full scope of sexual and reproductive health care to anyone in Wisconsin who needs it, no matter what.”

BREAKING: Planned Parenthood of Wisconsin will resume abortion care services on Monday, September 18th at the Water Street Health Center in Milwaukee, and the Madison East Health Center. pic.twitter.com/rNT1fx4THY

— Planned Parenthood Advocates of Wisconsin (@PPAWI) September 14, 2023

The original Wisconsin law states that any person other than the mother who “intentionally destroys the life of an unborn child is guilty of a Class H felony,” which could result in up to 6 years in prison and/or fines up to $10,000, according to Stangl Law Services. Any person other than the mother who “intentionally destroys the life of” an unborn child whose movements can be felt within the womb “is guilty of a Class E felony,” which could result in up to 15 years in prison and/or fines up to $50,000.

Democratic Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers and Democratic Wisconsin Attorney General Josh Kaul launched a lawsuit against the 19th-century law in June 2022 on the grounds that the law is “unenforceable,” according to the Wisconsin Department of Justice. Kaul filed a motion in August asking the court to recognize the July ruling as the official judgement, a press release from the Wisconsin Department of Justice announced.

Planned Parenthood will start accepting requests for abortion appointments on Thursday, according to the press release.

“We believe everybody deserves access to high quality, affordable, nonjudgmental health care – including abortion,” Amy Doczy, vice president of patient services at Planned Parenthood of Wisconsin, said. “Abortion is healthcare, and we are eager to resume providing this essential care for Wisconsinites.”

Planned Parenthood of Wisconsin did not immediately respond to the Daily Caller News Foundation’s request for comment.