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Heal Without Harm Coalition Urges Legislators to Oppose AB 975
The Heal Without Harm Coalition encourages all citizens to contact their state legislators this week to oppose Assembly Bill 975, establishing a new 14-week abortion ban with exceptions for rape and incest through a binding referendum.
The Heal Without Harm (HWH) Coalition, comprised of Wisconsin Right to Life, Pro-Life Wisconsin, Wisconsin Family Action, and the Wisconsin Catholic Conference, opposes the introduction of an abortion referendum during a time when the current state abortion ban, Wis. Stat. 940.04, continues to proceed through the court system. AB 975, introduced last Friday, prohibits abortion if the probable postfertilization age of an unborn child is 14 or more weeks and requires a binding referendum before going into effect. The HWH Coalition will continue to defend 940.04, the state’s abortion ban, a lifesaving law which saved over 1,500 lives since the overturning of Roe v. Wade in June of 2022.
At Monday’s public hearing, the HWH Coalition testified in unity against AB 975, as did dozens more in attendance. In an executive session on the bill late Tuesday afternoon, Republicans passed an amendment to add rape and incest exceptions up until birth to the bill. The bill is currently being fast-tracked through the Assembly and is scheduled to receive a floor vote this Thursday.
It is paramount that the Legislature not surrender protections for preborn children before our courts make a final ruling on 940.04, which bans abortion from conception. Additionally, Governor Evers has stated his firm intention to veto any bill that would place any limits on abortion. We ask the Legislature to wait until the court challenges are resolved before proposing new abortion limits.
Every human life is sacred, unrepeatable, and deserves protection. Following the overturning of Roe v. Wade, it is all the more imperative for a woman to know that the community supports her and her child. A society that truly respects human life must take active measures to ensure that pro-woman, pro-child, and pro-family policies are enacted into law. This means caring for a mother and child and acknowledging that there are significant financial costs involved at all stages of pregnancy and parenting. We ask the Legislature to come together to work to eliminate the barriers to welcoming children, instead of eliminating them.
Please take action by Thursday at 10am, ahead of a vote in the Assembly. Contact your state representative and senator with the following message:
- I urge you to oppose Assembly Bill 975 and to publicly defend Wisconsin’s law protecting preborn children, Wis. Stat. 940.04. In less than two years, over 1,500 lives have been saved in Wisconsin.
- AB 975 disregards 940.04 and instead introduces a 14-week abortion ban through a binding referendum, which will not even reach the voters because the Governor will veto the bill.
- Over 90 percent of abortions in Wisconsin occur before 14 weeks gestation (around 6,000 lives lost each year), meaning that even if the referendum passes, the vast majority of abortions would remain legal.
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An egregious amendment to add rape and incest exceptions up until birth has been added to the bill. Rape and incest exceptions embolden criminals, put additional pressure on women to abort, and send the strong signal that those among us conceived in rape and incest are not as worthy of life as everyone else.
- Don’t support state-sanctioned violence. Instead, pass bills that embrace both mothers and children: AB 114 extending postpartum care to a year after birth, AB 343 increasing the tax exemption for dependents and including preborn children, AB 344 funding for pregnancy resource centers, and AB 336 creating grants to support adoption. All four bills have already passed the Senate.
- Thank you for your service and for protecting the most vulnerable in Wisconsin.
To contact your representatives, visit the Wisconsin State Legislature website and click on Find My Legislators for their phone number or email address. You can also call the State Legislative Hotline at 1-800-362-9472.
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