MADISON, WI (WSAU) — Wisconsin Governor Tony Evers is calling the state Legislature in for a special session on June 22nd to repeal a decades-old Wisconsin law that would take effect should the Supreme Court strike down Roe v Wade.
BREAKING: I'm calling the Legislature into special session on June 22 to repeal Wisconsin’s criminal abortion ban. With #SCOTUS poised to overturn #RoeVWade, failing to protect reproductive rights will have real consequences for each of us and the people who matter most to us. pic.twitter.com/UNItidiVEh
— Governor Tony Evers (@GovEvers) June 8, 2022
“Overturning #Roe could have disastrous consequences for so many people we love and care about—our family members, our friends, and our neighbors—who could have their ability to make their own reproductive healthcare decisions taken from them,” said Evers. “We can’t wait for this decision to arrive on our doorstep. We must act now.”
The Republican-controlled Legislature has a history of not taking Evers’ calls for special sessions seriously. Over the last two years, they have gaveled in and gaveled out of such sessions with little to no discussion. That includes sessions on gun control bills and most recently a session on how to distribute the state’s budget surplus, including a $150 rebate for taxpayers.
Last month a leaked draft opinion of a Supreme Court decision was released to the media which indicated that the high court could overturn Roe versus Wade, which would revert abortion rights back to the states. In Wisconsin, that means a bill crafted in 1849 would go back into effect, outlawing the practice statewide with no exceptions for rape or incest.
The session is scheduled for noon on June 22nd. Consideration of the bill will be the only item on the agenda.
