NATIONAL POLLING SHOWS 70% OF
AMERICANS THINK ABORTION SHOULD
BE BETWEEN A WOMAN AND HER
DOCTOR.
WITH 58% SAYING ABORTION SHOULD
BE LEGAL IN ALL OR MOST CASES.
IN WISCONSIN, PUBLIC OPINION
SURVEYS SHOW ABOUT 60% OF
RESPONDENTS THINK ABORTION
SHOULD BE LEGAL IN ALL OR MOST
CASES.
IF THOSE ARE THE MAJORITY
OPINIONS ON THE MATTER, WHERE
DOES THAT LEAVE PRO-LIFE
POLITICIANS JUST AHEAD OF THE
MIDTERM ELECTIONS, WHICH INCLUDE
RACES FOR GOVERNOR, U.S. SENATE
AND ATTORNEY GENERAL?
WE TAKE THIS QUESTION AND OTHERS
TO SENIOR POLITICAL REPORTER ZAC
SCHULTZ, WHO JOINS US FROM THE
CAPITOL.
THANKS FOR DOING SO, ZAC.
>> THANKS, FRED.
>> SO WITH POLLING SHOWING THIS
MAJORITY SUPPORT OF ROE V. WADE,
HOW DOES THAT TRANSLATE TO WHAT
VOTERS DO AT THE POLLS?
>> WELL, VERY TO REMEMBER, THAT
POLLING HAS BEEN PRETTY STATIC
FOR AT LEAST A DECADE OR LONGER
THAT WE'VE BEEN TAKING THESE
POLLS.
OPINIONS HAVEN'T CHANGED VERY
MUCH.
BUT THE VOTING TRENDS DON'T
MATCH UP.
AND THIS ISN'T THE ONLY ISSUE
WHERE WHAT PEOPLE APPROVE OF
POLLING-WISE DOESN'T TRANSLATE
TO HOW THEY WILL ACTUALLY CAST A
BALLOT IN THE ELECTION BOX.
THERE ARE A LOT OF PEOPLE ON
EITHER SIDE, LEFT OR RIGHT, WHO
ARE VERY FIRMLY ONE ISSUE VOTER.
THEY VOTE ON ABORTION ONLY.
AND THEN A LOT OF PEOPLE IN THE
MIDDLE WHO MAY SAY THEY FEEL ONE
WAY OR THE OTHER, BUT THAT'S NOT
THE REASON THAT THEY CAST A
BALLOT FOR A MEMBER OF ONE PARTY
OR ANOTHER.
AND SO WE DON'T KNOW WHETHER
THIS WILL ACTUALLY CHANGE THAT.
REMEMBER, ANYONE UNDER THE AGE
OF 70, THIS IS THE FIRST TIME IN
THEIR LIFETIMES THAT THEY'RE
VOTING ON ABORTION IN THE BALLOT
IN WISCONSIN.
BEFORE THIS, ROE V. WADE WAS
ALWAYS A CONSTITUTIONAL
REQUIREMENT THAT MEANT NO MATTER
THEIR FEELING, NO MATTER WHO
THEY VOTED FOR, THE RIGHT TO
ACCESS ABORTION RIGHTS WERE NOT
GOING TO CHANGE IN WISCONSIN BUT
THAT MAY LIKELY NOT BE THE CASE
THIS FALL.
>> DOES THIS COMPLICATE THINGS
FOR CANDIDATES LIKE REBECCA
KLEEFISCH OR OTHER REPUBLICANS
WHO ARE STAUNCHLY ANTIABORTION,
THIS KIND OF PUBLIC SENTIMENT
ABOUT IT?
>> WELL, IT'S A QUESTION FOR
THEM OF WHETHER THOSE VOTERS
WILL CHANGE THEIR MINDS AND
ACTUALLY VOTE ON ABORTION.
IF
THEY BELIEVE THAT ABORTION
ACCESS SHOULD BE LEGALIZED.
THAT SHOULD BE A RISK WHICH IS
WHY YOU'RE SEEING A LOT OF
REPUBLICANS NOT SAYING VERY MUCH
ON THIS ISSUE RIGHT NOW.
ON THE FLIP SIDE, DEMOCRATS ARE
TRYING TO MAKE IT A BIGGER ISSUE
TO SEE IF SOME OF THOSE VOTERS
MAY CHANGE MAYOR MINDS.
-- CHANGE THEIRMINDS.
I THINK LIKELY AN ELECTORAL
IMPACT COULD BE CHALLENGING THE
BASE.
YOU SEE TURNOUT GO DOWN QUITE A
BIT AND OFTEN IT'S WHICHEVER
PARTY LOSES MORE VOTERS FROM THE
PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION IS LIKELY
TO LOSE OVERALL IF YOU CAN
RETAIN THOSE VOTERS.
IF YOU HAVE MORE VOTER
ENTHUSIASM, YOU CAN HAVE SEE
HIGHER TURNOUT TO HELP THEIR
CANDIDATE.
>> MEANWHILE -- ELIMINATE THE
FILIBUSTER TO DO IT, HOW LIKELY
IS THAT?
>> IT'S NOT LIKELY AT ALL.
I MEAN, DEMOCRATS HAVE TALKED
ABOUT ELIMINATING THE FILIBUSTER
THROUGHOUT THIS SESSION BUT THEY
DON'T HAVE THE VOTES TO DO IT,
THEY DIDN'T BEFORE, THEY DON'T
NOW.
THIS IS JUST TO PUT EVERYONE ON
THE RECORD GOING INTO THE FALL.
DEMOCRATS HOPE TO TRY AND PIN
THIS ON SOME OF THESE KEY
BATTLEGROUND ISSUES OF GETTING
SOMEONE LIKE SENATOR RON JOHNSON
ON THE RECORD.
HE'S ALREADY ON THE RECORD, WE
KNOW WHERE HE STANDS, BUT THEY
WANT TO PUT ONE MORE VOTE ON THE
RECORD.
>> MEANWHILE THE GOP IS SO VERY
ANGRY ABOUT THE LEAK.
IS THAT A TELL THAT THEY'D
RATHER SPEAK TO THAT THAN THE
DRAFT OPINION ITSELF?
>> WELL, IT'S TRADITIONAL IN
POLITICS THAT IF YOU DON'T WANT
TO TALK ABOUT THE THING BECAUSE
YOU DON'T THINK IT HELPS YOU,
THEN YOU TALK ABOUT PROCESS.
THAT HAPPENS HISTORICALLY
WHENEVER THERE'S A CONTROVERSY
IS IT'S EITHER PROCESS OR IT'S
THE ISSUE THAT PEOPLE ARE
CONCERNED ABOUT.
SO IT'S PROCESSED RIGHT NOW FOR
REPUBLICANS, IF THEY SEE A SHEFT
WHERE THEY THINKS IT HELPS THEM,
THEN THEY'LL TALK ABOUT IT.
IF DEMOCRATS FOCUS STRICTLY ON
ABORTION LEADING INTO THE FALL
LEK SHOULD BEES BUT IT DOESN'T
SHIFT SOME OF THOSE REPUBLICANS
OR INDEPENDENTS WHO SUPPORT
ABORTION BUT VOTE ON OTHER
ISSUES THEN THEY LOSE THE
OPPORTUNITY TO GET THOSE VOTERS.
>> DOWN TO THE NUTS AND BOLTS OF
IT, IT IS TRUE THAT THERE'S
NOTHING TONY EVERS COULD DO
ABOUT ROE V. WADE BEING
OVERTURNED BECAUSE HE CAN'T VETO
A STATUTE LIKE WISCONSIN'S THAT
CRIMINALIZES ABORTION AND HAS
BEEN ON THE BOOKS FOR MORE THAN
170 YEARS, HE CAN'T VETO AN
EXISTING STATUTE?
>> NO, HE HAS NO POWER IN THIS
AREA.
HE HAS SOME EXECUTIVE AUTHORITY
FOR HOW SOME STATE AGENCIES
MIGHT INTERACT BUT REALLY, HE'S
OUT OF THIS QUESTION WHEN IT
COMES TO LAWS RIGHT NOW.
THE ATTORNEY GENERAL DOES HAVE
AN IMPACT AND WE'VE ALREADY SEEN
DEMOCRAT JOSH KAUL SAY THAT HE
DOESN'T PLAN ON USING ANY DOJ
RESOURCES TO PROSECUTE ANYONE
OVER THESE LAWS IN THE FUTURE
AND REPUBLICANS HAVE SAID THAT
THEY LIKELY WOULD AT LEAST
ENTERTAIN THOSE THOUGHTS, SO
IT'S MORE LIKELY TO PLAY OUT ON
THAT RACE THAN WITH THE
GOVERNOR.
>> HOW IMPORTANT DOES ALL OF
THIS MAKE THE NEXT WISCONSIN
SUPREME COURT RACE IN WISCONSIN
FOR BOTH SIDES?
>> WELL, IT WAS ALREADY A
PIVOTAL RACE, IT WAS ALREADY
GOING TO BE THE HIGHEST SPENDING
SUPREME COURT RACE IN STATE
HISTORY.
JUST BECAUSE WE KNOW RIGHT NOW
IT'S 4-3 CONSERVATIVE POWER WITH
JUSTICE RYAN HAGEDORN SWINGING
MUCH TO THE CHAGRIN OF THE
CONSERVATIVES BUT THIS IS FOR
PAT ROGGENSACK'S SEAT, SHE'S
EXPECTED TO RETIRE AND THAT SEAT
WILL DETERMINE THE BALANCE OF
THE COURT.
SO ON THIS ISSUE AND SO MANY
MORE ISSUES, IT WAS ALREADY
GOING TO BE A HUGE THING.
SO IT WILL BE A LOT OF ATTENTION
PLACED ON THAT AND SO MANY OTHER
ISSUES FOR THAT RACE NEXT APRIL,
NOT THIS FALL.
>> RIGHT, SO THE REASON IT WOULD
BE IMPORTANT BEFORE THIS COURT
IS BECAUSE IT IS LIKELY THAT NOT
WITHSTANDING THE FACT THAT THE
GOVERNOR, SHOULD HE WIN THE
ELECTION, HE COULDN'T VETO IT,
BUT THEN IT'S LIKELY TO GO TO
THE LEGISLATURE POTENTIALLY TO
TIGHTEN UP THE LANGUAGE IN OUR
EXISTING STATUTE OR FACE
LAWSUITS OTHERWISE.
>> IF GOVERNOR EVERS IS THE
GOVERNOR, THEN ABSOLUTE LEA WE
COULD SEE CONSTITUTIONAL
CHALLENGES FOR THIS OLD LAW AND
IF REPUBLICAN GOVERNOR IS IN
PLACE, THEN WE'LL SEE
CONSTITUTIONAL CHALLENGES IN
THERE SO THIS WILL STILL LIKELY
END UP IN THE COURTS AS
EVERYTHING ELSE DOES HERE IN
WISCONSIN.
>> THAT'S RIGHT.