Democratic lawmakers introduced legislation on Oct. 1 to repeal all current abortion restrictions after Planned Parenthood of Wisconsin (PPWI) announced abortion services will pause statewide due to new federal limits on Medicaid funding.
Under current law, patients seeking abortion services face multiple obstacles, including a mandatory two in-person visit requirement with the same physician at least 24 hours apart, a ban on telemedicine for medication abortions, a mandatory ultrasound and state-scripted counseling and a ban on advanced practice clinicians from providing abortion care.
Sen. Kelda Roys, D-Madison, said the legislation aims to remove medically unnecessary hurdles that she described as politically motivated.
“The purpose of these restrictions has always been to make abortion as onerous and difficult to access as possible,” Roys said. “The need for abortion doesn’t go away because Planned Parenthood can’t provide it.”
Republicans responded with a bill proposal intended to narrow the legal definition of abortion in state statute. Their bill would exempt certain medical procedures — such as inductions, cesarean deliveries and treatment for nonviable or ectopic pregnancies — from being classified as abortions.
The lawmakers said the legislation addresses “allegations regarding the potential ambiguity of our statutes surrounding the definition of an abortion, leading to misinformation about women’s healthcare,” adding “too often erroneous claims are being made of instances where doctors felt they could not perform needed procedures for fear of being criminally charged. This false narrative only serves to create fear and disseminate misinformation, both in the public and professional spheres.”
Republican lawmakers who sponsored the bill did not respond to requests for comment from The Daily Cardinal.
The Democrat proposal is unlikely to pass the state legislature, where Republicans control both houses.
Gov. Tony Evers plans to veto the Republican proposal, according to spokesperson Britt Cudaback.
Medicaid cuts from President Donald Trump’s ‘Big Beautiful Bill’ bar providers from billing medicaid as insurance for reproductive health care, if the nonprofit is classified as a “prohibited intent" — a nonprofit providing abortions who received more than $800,000 from Medicaid in fiscal year 2023.
Both Roys and Rep. Lisa Subeck, D-Madison, called the provision a targeted attack on Planned Parenthood that could amount to a “backdoor abortion ban.”
“This is not because Planned Parenthood wants to pause abortion services,” Subeck said. “This is because Republicans in government continue to pass laws that make it harder, if not impossible, for providers to give their patients the care they need.”
Currently, only two independent clinics in Milwaukee are still able to provide abortion services, leaving many Wisconsin residents, particularly those in rural areas, without access. Some patients may be able to order abortion medication through telehealth providers online, but there are restrictions on telemedicine that remain as a major obstacle.
Democrats also criticized Republicans for celebrating the pause in services and introducing a competing bill to redefine what qualifies as an abortion. They argued the measure attempts to obscure the consequences of abortion bans while further restricting care.
“The question is who makes reproductive health care decisions — physicians and patients, or politicians,” Subeck said. “Our constituents don’t want politicians involved in their reproductive health decisions.”
Alaina Walsh is the associate news editor for The Daily Cardinal. She has covered breaking news on city crimes and a variety of state and campus stories, including the 2024 presidential election and the UW-Madison budget.
