>>> THE U.S. SUPREME COURT TODAY
OVERTURNED THE 50-YEAR PRECEDENT
CASE ROE V. WADE IN WHAT'S BEING
CALLED A RULING FOR THE AGES.
AND WITH IT, THE GENERATION LONG
FIGHT ON ON ANTY ABORTION
ACTIVISTS TO END LEGAL
ABORTIONS.
LAWS AROUND ACCESS NOW TURN TO
THE STATES WE RETURN TO
GRACIEES -- GRACIEES, FOR HER
REACTION.
AND THANKS VERY MUCH FOR BEING
HERE.
>> THANK YOU FOR HAVING ME.
>> WHAT IS YOUR REACTION TO THE
RULING?
>> WE ARE ABSOLUTELY OVERJOYED.
THE PRO-LIFE MOVEMENT HAS BEEN
ADVOCATING FOR THE PROTECTION OF
PREBORN LIFE AND THE OVERTURNING
OF ROE FOR DECADES.
SO IT'S HARD TO EVEN BELIEVE
THAT THE STATE HAS COME -- THIS
DAY HAS COME.
>> IN WISCONSIN WE KNOW THAT
THERE'S A LAW ON THE BOOKS
REDATING ROE THAT CRIMMIZES
ABORTION.
COULD YOU EXPECT TO WORK TO
TIGHTEN THAT EVEN MORE?
>> OUR FOCUS RIGHT NOW IS
CALLING ON OUR ATTORNEY GENERAL
AND DISTRICT ATTORNEYS TO ENSURE
THAT THAT LAW IS EFFECTIVE AT
SAVING LIVES.
BUT WE ARE CERTAINLY WILLING AND
PREPARING FOR FURTHER ACTION WE
CAN TAKE LEGISLATIVELY IF MORE
NEEDS TO BE DONE TO PROTECT
PREBORN LIVES.
BUT I THINK OUR MAIN FOCUS IS
REALLY ON SUPPORTING WOMEN WHO
ARE FACING THESE CHALLENGING OR
UNEXPECTED PREGNANCIES.
WE REALIZE THAT THEY WILL BE IN
NEED OF SUPPORT, POTENTIALLY
MEDICAL CARE, HOUSING, ALL OF
THOSE CONCERNS, AND WE WANT TO
INCREASE THE EFFORTS OF THE
PREGNANCY RESOURCE CENTERS AND
MATERNITY HOMES SO THAT THEY ARE
ABLE TO FILL IN THE GAP FOR
THOSE WOMEN.
>> WHAT ABOUT RECENT WISCONSIN
POLLING THAT SAYS 31% FAVOR
OVERTURNING ROE WHILE A FULL 69%
OPPOSED STRIKING IT DOWN?
DOES PUBLIC OPINION MATTER ON
THIS ISSUE TO YOU?
>> I THINK THAT THE
EXTRAORDINARY THING ABOUT ROE
BEING OVERTURN SAID THE DECISION
REGARDING ABORTION ACCESS NOW
RETURNS TO THE STATES.
SO WE CAN HAVE THOSE
CONVERSATIONS IN WISCONSIN AND
IT WILL CERTAINLY BE AN
IMPORTANT ISSUE GOING INTO THE
ELECTIONS.
AND OUR WORK AT WISCONSIN RIGHT
TO LIFE IS TO CHANGE HEARTS AND
MINDS.
SO WE WILL CONTINUE TO EDUCATE
ON THE REALITY OF ABORTION, AND
HOPEFULLY BY PROVIDING WOMEN
WITH LOVING, SUPPORTIVE OPTIONS,
THEY WILL WANT TO CHOOSE LIFE.
>> NOW, A MOMENT AGO YOU SPOKE
TO THE IDEA THAT YOUR FIRST
PRIORITY IS TO WORK WITH THE
ATTORNEY GENERAL, JOSH CALL, TO
MAKE SURE THAT THIS LAW ON THE
BOOKS IN WISCONSIN IS ENFORCED.
HE HAS SAID HE WOULD NOT ENFORCE
IT.
WHAT ABOUT THAT?
>> WE BELIEVE AND KNOW
FUNDAMENTALLY THAT HIS ROLE IS
TO ENFORCE OUR LAWS.
SO OF COURSE, WE'RE NOT SHOCKED
THAT HE IS SAYING THAT.
AND I THINK THAT THIS WILL BE A
LONGER CONVERSATION AND BATTLE
THAT WE ARE WILLING TO FIGHT
HERE IN WISCONSIN IF HE IS NOT
WILLING TO ENFORCE THE LAW.
AND AGAIN, IT COMES BACK TO THE
IMPORTANCE OF OUR ELECTIONS IN
THE FALL.
THERE ARE MANY PRO-LIFE
CANDIDATES WHO ARE RUNNING TO
TAKE HIS PLACE, TO TAKE OUR
GOVERNOR'S PLACE, AND WOULD BE
WILLING TO PROTECT THESE
CHILDREN.
>> ALL RIGHT.
GRACIEE, THANKS VERY MUCH.
>> THANK YOU.
>>> WISCONSIN RIGHT TO LIFE SAYS
IT IS NOT IN FAVOR OF REMOVING
THE MEDICAL EMERGENCY EXCEPTION
IN WISCONSIN LAW.
FOR ADVOCATES OF ACCESS TO LEGAL
ABORTION, THE RULING OVERTURNING
ROE V. WADE IS DEVASTATING.
TANYA ATKINSON IS PRESIDENT AND
C.E.O. OF PLANNED PARENTHOOD OF
WISCONSIN AND THANKS VERY MUCH
FOR BEING HERE.
>> THANK YOU.
>> SO YOU HAVE CALLED THIS A
DEVASTATING RULING THAT HANDS
WOMEN'S HEALTHCARE DECISIONS
OVER TO POLITICIANS.
WHEN THIS RULING CAME DOWN THIS
MORNING, WHAT HAPPENED IN YOUR
CLINICS IN WISCONSIN?
>> THAT WAS EXACTLY WHAT
HAPPENED.
WE HAD PEOPLE IN OUR WAITING
ROOM U, IN OUR HEALTH CENTERS
AND WHEN THE RULING CAME DOWN,
OUR TEAM HAD TO GO OUT INTO THE
LOBBY AND LET THOSE INDIVIDUALS
KNOW THAT THEY -- EXCUSE ME,
WOULD NOT BE ABLE TO ACCESS THE
HEALTHCARE THAT THEY NEEDED.
THOSE INDIVIDUALS THAT HAD MADE
A DECISION FOR THEMSELVES, THEIR
FAMILIES, THEIR HEALTH, HAD TO
BE TOLD THAT RATHER THAN MAKING
THAT DECISION, THAT THEY HAD
ALREADY MADE, THAT INSTEAD,
SOMEONE ELSE HAD MADE THAT
DECISION FOR THEM AND THEY
WOULDN'T BE ABLE TO ACCESS THAT
CARE.
AND WE WORKED TO TRY TO FIND
THEM AN APPOINTMENT IN OTHER
STATES WHERE ABORTION IS STILL
SAFE AND LEGAL.
>> WHAT WERE THE REACTIONS OF
THE WOMEN IN THE WAITING ROOM
WHEN TOLD OF THIS NEWS AND WHAT
IT MEANT FOR THEM?
>> YEAH, THE REACTIONS -- YOU
KNOW, IT WAS -- IT WAS -- IT WAS
TRAUMATIC FOR SOME PEOPLE.
YOU KNOW, TO BE ABLE TO -- YOU
KNOW, TO NOT BE ABLE TO ACCESS
THIS CARE THAT THEY HAD
CONTEMPLATED AND DECIDED THAT
THEY NEEDED FOR THEIR HEALTH OR
THEIR FUTURE.
>> WHAT KIND OF HELP CAN PLANNED
PARENTHOOD OFFER TO WOMEN
SEEKING ABORTION SERVICES
INCLUDING THOSE WHO HAD TO BE
ESSENTIALLY TURNED AWAY TODAY?
>> YEAH, THANK YOU.
WE HAD 70 PATIENTS WITH
APPOINTMENTS.
OR THE NEXT COUPLE OF DAYS.
AND THESE ARE OUR FRIENDS.
THESE ARE OUR FAMILIES.
THESE ARE OUR NEIGHBORS.
AND THIS IS A HUMAN IMPACT OF
THESE POLICY DECISIONS.
EVEN IN THE FACE OF THE REALITY
THAT THE MAJORITY OF WISCONSIN
ITS THINK ACCESS TO ABORTION
SHOULD BE SAFE AND LEGAL.
THANK YOU FOR THE QUESTION,
BECAUSE PLANNED PARENTHOOD
REMAINS OPEN ACROSS THE STATE
AND IF SOMEBODY NEEDS AN
ABORTION, WE ASK THAT THEY
CONTACT US AND WE CAN HELP THEM
IN A VARIETY OF DIFFERENT WAYS.
WE CAN PROVIDE SOME OF THE
HEALTHCARE THAT IS NOT
SPECIFICALLY ABORTION.
WE HAVE NAVIGATE,THAT CAN
HELP -- NAVIGATORS THAT CAN HELP
THEM FIND APPOINTMENTS AND
FINANCIAL RESOURCES THAT THEY
MIGHT NEED.
AND WE WILL BE THERE FOR PEOPLE
WHEN THEY RETURN HOME AGAIN FOR
ANY AFTERCARE OR ANY OF THE
ARRAY OF OTHER SERVICES THAT WE
PROVIDE.
>> PLANNED PARENTHOOD SAYS IT
DOES NOT BELIEVE WISCONSIN'S
1849 ABORTION LAW IS ENFORCEABLE
AND EXSCORING -- EXPLORING LEGAL
OPTIONS.
LIKE WHAT?
>> WELL, THERE'S A NUMBER OF
LEGAL OPTIONS THAT WE'RE LOOKING
AT.
AND WE'RE LOOKING AT ALL OF THEM
THAT ARE AVAILABLE.
AT THIS POINT IT IS NOT WORTH
RISKING THE LIBERTY AND FREEDOM
OF OUR HEALTHCARE PROVIDERS.
AND SO THAT'S WHY WE PAUSED
SERVICES.
>> TANYA ATKINSON, PLANNED
PARENTHOOD OF WISCONSIN, THANK
YOU VERY MUCH.