The Supreme Court’s Friday ruling overturning Roe v. Wade means an 1849 state law banning abortion in Wisconsin takes effect again. During a special session called by Democratic Gov. Tony Evers, the Republican-controlled state legislature declined on Wednesday to repeal the law—which Evers described as providing "no exceptions for abortion in the cases of rape or incest" in a June 8 statement.
"This is an absolutely disastrous and unconscionable decision by the U.S. Supreme Court, the consequences of which I hoped to never see again in my lifetime," Evers said in a statement Friday. “We will fight this decision in every way we can with every power we have."
Wisconsin Democratic Attorney General Josh Kaul told CNN affiliate WISN before the court’s decision came down that he did not intend to enforce the abortion ban at the state level. However, following the decision Friday, his office issued a statement stopping short of that, saying, “Our office is reviewing today’s decision and will be providing further information about how we intend to move forward next week.”
Meanwhile, the neighboring state of Minnesota is preparing for a potential influx of women seeking abortions as bans in other states go into effect. Minnesota's Democratic Gov. Tim Walz signed an executive order Saturday that is designed to shield women seeking abortions there from being subject to legal consequences in other states.
"To the maximum extent of the law, it prohibits state agencies from using any resources to help in any investigation that would impose sanctions for providing or attempting to get reproductive health care services that are legal in Minnesota,” Walz said in a news conference.
