Wisconsin Republicans introduced a bill Friday that would ban abortion at 14 weeks, just months ahead of the 2024 presidential primary.
The bill would limit abortions in the state by an additional six weeks since Wisconsin already has a 20-week ban on the books, according to the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. In addition to passing the legislature and getting Democratic Gov. Tony Evers’ signature, the bill would also have to appear on the ballot for voters during the state’s primary election in April, which is just months before the presidential election in November. (RELATED: Montana Attorney General Shoots Down Proposal To Enshrine Abortion In State Constitution)
The practice of sending the bill to voters for final approval is rarely used in the state, according to the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, and abortion referendums have not been incredibly successful in the past, with the most recent example being in Ohio’s ballot election in November. Republicans have debated how to address the sensitive topic of abortion ahead of the 2024 election, with former President Donald Trump chastising fellow candidate Gov. Ron DeSantis after he signed a six-week ban for the state, claiming pro-lifers view it as “too harsh.”
Protesters gather during a rally for women’s rights in Foley Square on October 8, 2022, in New York City. The demonstration, organized by the Women’s March, is one of several taking place nationally on Saturday. (Photo by Jeenah Moon/Getty Images)
Wisconsin’s Assembly Speaker Robin Vos, a co-sponsor of the bill, had previously said that he wanted to put legislation on the ballot for voters in April, according to the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.
“I’d like to put something on the ballot in April that allows the people of Wisconsin to be the ones who get the final say on making a decision on abortion,” Vos said. “So it’s not the court. It’s not the Legislature. It’s not the governor. It’s going to be the people who get the final choice.”
A spokesperson for the governor said that he will not sign the legislation should it pass his desk, according to the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. In December, Evers said in a post on X, formerly known as Twitter, that he believed citizens in his state “should be able to make their own reproductive healthcare decisions without interference.”
“I’ll veto any bill that makes reproductive healthcare any less accessible for Wisconsinites than it is right now,” Evers also wrote, according to the outlet.
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