Wisconsin women say federal abortion access a priority, even with restrictions, as issue drives voters to the polls

WATERTOWN, Wis. — Wisconsin women tell The Post that codifying Roe into federal law is a priority for them in this election, even if it comes with some restrictions, reflecting state polling trends.

Kamala Harris supporters who spoke to The Post listed reproductive rights as a top issue in the election, but were split on whether to federal abortion access law should include any restrictions. Meanwhile, supporters of Donald Trump and pro-life voters in the state believed the issue should remain in the hands of the states.

Right after Roe v. Wade was overturned, Wisconsin reverted to one The 1849 Act Regulating Abortion, which effectively banned the practice. After 15 months, the law was deemed unenforceable and abortion services resumed under existing restrictions, including a ban of around 20 weeks.

Peg Vanbrice, 71, a Green Bay retiree and Harris supporter, opposes restrictions of any kind. “You have to leave it up to the person,” Vanbrice told The Post outside Harris’ rally in Green Bay this month. “It is wrong to make this decision.”

Heather Strayer, 53, is a school social worker in Green Bay. She told The Post that she is not comfortable with a ban after a certain gestational age. “I wish we could let a woman and her doctor make the choice. I don’t know if I agree with a number (of weeks).”

Outside Harris Town Hall with Liz Cheney in Waukesha County, red-leaning Kelly Harrigan, 57, a project manager for a software company, told The Post she is comfortable putting state provisions on a law federal abortion access – as long as it ultimately honors the woman’s right. to choose

Rebecca Sheperd, 53, said her main concern in this election is reproductive health.

“What I want for my daughters is the ability to make decisions about their health care without the government restricting their health care providers,” she told The Post.

Sheperd, who lives in the Brookfield area and works in sales, said he hasn’t considered how he feels about the restrictions after viability, but the alternative — a Trump presidency — is unacceptable, “even if there are some restrictions or challenges to reinstate Roe v. . Wade.”

Waiting in line for the Harris event alongside her was Heather Gergen, 53, a marketing photographer who agreed: “It’s important for women to have power over their own bodies in any way.”

Laura Palus, 56, runs a nonprofit that supports pregnant women in need. Speaking to The Post outside Trump’s school choice event in Milwaukee earlier this month, Palus said Trump was a “great pro-life president” and she was pleased with his first term.

“It’s a different world right now, and I think abortion needs to come back to the states,” Palus said. She believes it is now “up to people to do the work” to convince people that “a day-old unborn child is a person”.

Retired nurse Sandy Hansen-Harsh of Waukesha County told The Post at a Republican watch party for the vice presidential debate that she believes in a woman’s right to choose, but that states should have the “prerogative to set parameters for abortion.” .

Pam Rucinski, who said she was heavily involved in the pro-life movement, thought leaving the issue up to the states was a rational, reasonable proposition, but the furor targeting the pro-life movement after Roe has left her stunned.

“Even Ruth Bader Ginsberg said Roe was a poor decision,” Rucinski said, likely referring to the insightful warnings of the late justice about the susceptibility of the landmark decision.

The pro-life advocate favors restrictions, particularly those that ban late-term abortions, and favors giving women more information about their options.

“You can’t unsee the mother and for us, you can’t unsee the baby,” she said.

Rucinski says the pro-life path forward helps all women, including those ending their pregnancies.

“It’s always been about helping women from the beginning.”

In the most recent study from Marquette Law School, 63 percent of registered Wisconsin voters said they think abortion should be legal in all or most cases. The percentage of voters who believe abortion should be legal in all cases fell from the latest polls to 27% from 34% in September, the lowest since June 2022.

Just over a third of registered Wisconsin voters think abortion should be illegal in most or all cases.

Harris has made abortion access a top issue on the campaign trail as Trump consistently outpaces her on economic and immigration issues.

She has suggested removing the obstruction for Roe to push a federal abortion access law through Congress with only 51 votes and proclaimed she would not make concessions on abortion rights to reach a compromise with a Republican-controlled Congress if elected president.

Trump, who proudly boasts that he appointed some of the justices who make up the 6-3 conservative majority on the Supreme Court that overturned Roe v. Wade, said would veto the national abortion ban. Harris has done it repeatedly misstated the former president’s position on abortionand continues to claim that he wants to ban abortion nationwide.