Wisconsin Democratic Governor Tony Evers announced Wednesday that he was calling a special session of the Wisconsin legislature to repeal the state’s criminal ban on abortion.
Evers made the announcement ahead of the release of a Supreme Court decision that might overturn Roe v. Wade. If Roe is overturned, almost all abortions would be illegal in Wisconsin under current state law.
“I’m calling the Legislature into special session on June 22 to repeal Wisconsin’s criminal abortion ban. With [SCOTUS] poised to overturn [Roe v. Wade], failing to protect reproductive rights will have real consequences for each of us and the people who matter most to us,” Evers tweeted.
Since both chambers of the Wisconsin legislature are controlled by Republicans, Evers’ special session will likely fall flat.
“Every single Wisconsinite should have the right to consult their family, their faith, and their doctor to make a reproductive healthcare decision that is right for them,” Evers added in a statement.
He also tweeted that overturning Roe would have “disastrous consequences” and that the move was “about empathy, compassion, and doing the right thing.”
Earlier this year, a leaked Supreme Court opinion draft written by Justice Samuel Alito was published by Politico. The draft indicated that both Roe v. Wade and Planned Parenthood v. Casey, would likely be overturned, returning abortion policy to the states.
Republicans seeking to challenge Evers in November, including former Lt. Governor Rebecca Kleefisch, Trump-endorsed construction executive Tim Michels, former Marine Kevin Nicholson, and state Rep. Tim Ramthun all have expressed support for the overturning of Roe.
According to the Wisconsin Institute for Law and Liberty, almost all abortions would be illegal if Roe is overturned, and abortionists could be charged and convicted for performing the procedure. However, Democrat Attorney General Josh Kaul has already said he would not enforce the abortion ban if Roe were overturned though local officials could.
Eric Toney, a candidate seeking the Republican nomination to challenge Kaul and district attorney for Fond du Lac County, has said he would enforce Wisconsin’s abortion ban and criticized the incumbent for his stance.
“We have an attorney general that has effectively said he’s going to abdicate his responsibility because he doesn’t like the law,” Toney said. “That makes him unfit to hold that office.”