Planned Parenthood Advocates of Wisconsin president Atkinson responds to Roe v. Wade overturning

With the U.S. Supreme Court overturning of Roe v. Wade, the decision now leaves the rights of women to get an abortion up to each individual state to decide.

That basically ends a woman’s right to choose in Wisconsin, where a law created in 1849 — the year after becoming a state and before women had the right to vote — bans abortions completely, except to save the mother’s life.

Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers called a special session last month to address the 173-year-old law, since the Republican-controlled state Legislature has been out of sessions since March and isn’t scheduled back in session until next year — essentially a 10-month hiatus. Republicans gaveled in and out of that session — as they have done at least seven times on varying Wisconsin issues — Wednesday in the Assembly and Senate, in a matter of seconds, ignoring any potential to debate the topic.

“Today, our daughters have less rights than their mothers, less rights than their grandmothers,” Planned Parenthood Advocates of Wisconsin president Tanya Atkinson said in a video message released Friday (seen below). “This is absolutely unconscionable. People should be able to make their own healthcare decisions. This should not be political.”

Atkinson added that since Planned Parenthood Wisconsin has been forced to stop providing abortions, it can help people navigate to a state where abortions are “safe and legal,” like Illinois, Minnesota.

“Where people’s healthcare decisions are respected,” Atkinson said.

She noted Planned Parenthood Wisconsin can also provide financial assistance for anyone who needs to access a safe, legal abortion.