ROE V WADE STOOD FOR 50 YEARS
AND TECHNICALLY STILL STANDS.
BUT WITH THE LEAK FROM THE
UNITED STATES SUPREME COURT
INDICATING THEY PLAN TO STRIKE
IT DOWN, LAWMAKERS IN BOTH
PARTIES ACROSS THE COUNTRY ARE
MAKING PLANS FOR WHAT ABORTION
RIGHTS WILL EXIST AFTER ROE.
WE BEGIN TONIGHT WITH
REPRESENTATIVE BARBARA DITTRICH.
A REPUBLICAN FROM OCONOMOWOC WHO
JOINS US NOW.
THANKS FOR YOUR TIME.
IN THE LAST WEEK WE'VE SEEN
REPUBLICANS IN CONSERVATIVE
STATES MOVE RAPIDLY TO INTRODUCE
NEW ABORTION BILLS.
SOME GOING AS FAR TO ZERO
EXCEPTIONS.
WHAT CAN YOU TELL US ABOUT WHAT
WISCONSIN REPUBLICANS ARE LIKELY
TO INTRODUCE?
>> THAT'S A GREAT QUESTION.
AND WE HAVEN'T REALLY COME TO A
CONSENSUS AS A CAY SIS AT THIS
POINT.
I WOULD TELL YOU THAT WE HAVE A
WIDE RANGE OF OPINIONS ON WHAT
SHOULD BE ALLOWED.
AS YOU MAY KNOW, IN THE PAST,
I'VE INTRODUCED LEGISLATION
RAPE, INSISTS, AND THE LIKE OF
THE OTHER, AND THERE ARE SOME
THAT ARE NOT EVEN IN BIRTH
CONTROL.
SO, WE HAVE TO COME TO AN
AGREEMENT AS A CAUCUS SO THAT WE
CAN MOVE FORWARD IN THE STATE.
OTHERWISE, THE WAY I UNDERSTAND
IT, WE WOULD REVERT BACK TO THE
1849 LAW THAT ALREADY EXISTS.
>> Zac: IN CASES IN WISCONSIN
COUNTIES, WOULD YOU ANTICIPATE
POLICE OR DISTRICT ATTORNEYS
INVESTIGATING MISCARRIAGES IN
ORDER TO DETERMINE IT WASN'T AN
ABORTION?
IF THAT WAS THE LAW?
>> Rep. Dittrich: I CAN'T GUESS
IF THEY TALKED TO A DA WHAT THEY
WOULD DO AT THIS POINT.
CERTAINLY WE DON'T WANT THAT
HAPPENING.
I THINK WE'RE TALKING MORE ABOUT
MEDICAL REPORTING AND ASSURANCE
THAT'S GOING AS IT SHOULD.
>> Zac: IF ROE V WADE IS
OVERTURNED, THE 1849 STATUE GOES
INTO EFFECT BARRING ANY LEGAL
CHALLENGES.
ARE YOU COMFORTABLE WITH THAT
STATUE GOVERNING ABORTION LAWS
IN WISCONSIN?
OR DO YOU THINK THERE NEEDS TO
BE CHANGES NO MATTER WHAT?
>> Rep. Dittrich: I DON'T THINK
IT'S A MATTER OF MY OPINION, I
THINK IT'S A MATTER OF WHERE WE
CAN FIND COMMON GROUND IN THE
STATE OF WISCONSIN.
AS YOU MAY KNOW, THE 1849 LAW
DOES MAKE EXCEPTIONS FOR THE
LIFE OF THE MOTHER.
AND I THINK THERE IS A CERTAIN
SEGMENT THAT REALLY INSISTS UPON
HAVING THAT EXCEPTION FOR RAPE
AND INCEST.
I HAPPEN TO THINK ALL LIFE HAS
VALUE.
KNOW MATTER WHAT.
SO, THAT BEING SAID, SOMETHING
IN PLACE THAT WISCONSINITES CAN
LIVE WITH.
ON THE OPPOSITE SIDE OF THAT,
MOST PEOPLE DO NOT SUPPORT
ABORTION FOR ANY REASON AT ANY
TIME.
MOST PEOPLE ARE WHO ARE IN FAVOR
OF IT REALLY ARE IN FAVOR OF
ONLY THE FIRST TRIMESTER.
SO, WE'VE GOT TO FIND A PLACE
WHERE WE FIND SOME COMMON
GROUND.
AND IN ANY OPINION, RESPECT LIFE
IN THE PROCESS.
>> Zac: POLLING SHOWS MOST
WISCONSINITES BELIEVE SOME FORM
OF ABORTION SHOULD BE LEGAL AND
ACCESSIBLE.
AND WE KNOW SOME OF THOSE SAME
PEOPLE TRADITIONALLY SUPPORT
REPUBLICANS AT THE BALLOT BOX.
ARE YOU WORRIED SOME OF THOSE
VOTERS MAY CHANGE THEIR MIND AND
VOTE FOR DEMOCRATS THIS FALL
BECAUSE ABORTION COULD BE ON THE
BALLOT FOR THEM?
>> Rep. Dittrich: NO.
I WILL TELL YOU WHY.
I HAVE BEEN VERY OVERT ABOUT MY
PRO-LIFE SINCE THE FIRST DAY I
RAN.
ANYONE WHO KNOWS ME KNOWS MY
POSITION ON ABORTION.
ALSO, BECAUSE I'VE INTRODUCED
LEGISLATION IN THE PAST,
PRO-LIFE LEGISLATION IN THE
PAST.
FOR EXAMPLE, DISCRIMINATION WE
DON'T WANT IT ANYMORE IN
THEWOIN THEWOMB AS WE DO OUTSIDE
WOMB.
BASED ON THE BABY'S SEX.
SO, PEOPLE KNOW MY POSITION.
SO, I'M NOT CONCERNED ABOUT HOW
THIS WILL EFFECT THE ELECTION.
FOR ME.
>> Zac: NOW, IF WOMEN IN
WISCONSIN NO LONGER HAVE A
CHOICE WHETHER TO CARRY A
PREGNANCY TO TERM, WOULD YOU
EXPECT REPUBLICANS TO SUPPORT
MORE WOMEN-FRIENDLY LEGISLATION?
PAID FAMILY LEAVE, MORE SUPPORT
FOR CHILD CARE, OR MANDATORY
SICK LEAVE.
>> Rep. Dittrich: WE KNOW PAID
FAMILY LEAVE IS ALREADY AN
OPTION.
I'M SHARING, I THINK WE NEED TO
LEGISLATE THAT.
I THINK, ESPECIALLY IN THIS TYPE
JOB MARKET, THAT ACTUALLY FAVORS
WOMEN.
BECAUSE EMPLOYERS ARE WILLING TO
DO THESE THINGS ON THEIR OWN.
SIMPLY BECAUSE THEY NEED WOMEN
IN THE WORK FORCE SO MUCH.
THINGS HAVE CHANGED SO
DRASTICALLY IN THIS COUNTRY IN
THE WORK FORCE.
VERSES BACK WHEN THE ROE VERSE
WADE DECISION WAS ORIGINALLY
MADE.
THAT THE WORK FORCE LOOKED SO
MUCH MORE DIFFERENT.
WHAT I DO SUPPORT IS, YOU KNOW,
SUPPORTING WOMEN SO THEY DON'T
FEEL LIKE ABORTION IS THEIR ONLY
OPTION.
YOU MAY RECALL THAT I HAVE BEEN
THE CHAIR TASK FORCE ON
ADOPTION.
AND I'VE REALLY TRIED TO MAKE
ADOPTION AN EASIER PATH FOR
FAMILIES IN THE STATE.
AND I THINK WE CAN DO MORE
AROUND THAT, AS WELL, FOR OUR
WOMEN THAT DON'T WANT TO PARENT
A CHILD RIGHT NOW.
I'VE ALSO SUPPORTED PHARMACISTS
PRESCRIBING BIRTH CONTROL.
SO, THAT WOMEN CAN HAVE EASIER
ACCESS TO BIRTH CONTROL IN THE
STATE IF THEY SO WISH.
I'D RATHER SEE THAT THAN SEE A
PREGNANCY TERMINATED.
>> Zac: THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR