DITTRICH.
WE ARE NOW JOINED WITH SENATOR
KELDA ROYS.
WHAT KIND OF LEGISLATION WOULD
YOU LIKE TO SEE REPUBLICANS
INTRODUCE IN THE NEXT SESSION IF
ROE V WADE IS OVERTURNED?
>> Senator Roys: WISCONSIN
ALREADY HAS ON THE STATUES AN
1849 BAN ON ABORTION MAKING IT A
CRIME.
SO, I WOULD EXPECT TO SEE ALL
KINDS OF LEGISLATION AND THINGS
LIKE PUNISHING WOMEN AND BOUNTY
LAWS LIKE THEY HAVE IN TEXAS.
AND ATTORNEY GE ATTORNEY GENERAL
IS SO IMPORTANT.
>> Zac: THEY ARE REPORTING THAT
ASSEMBLY SPEAKER ROBIN VOSS IS
NOT SURE THE REST OF HIS PARTY
WILL GO ALONG WITH THAT.
DO YOU LEAVE HIM?
DOES HE HAVE THE POLL TO PUT
THOSE THINGS IN PLACE?
>> Senator Roys: I DON'T THINK
SO.
THE JOURNAL ALSO REPORTED THE
REPUBLICAN PARTY HAS BEEN
ATTACKING ROBIN VOSS AS NOT
CONSERVATIVE ENOUGH.
THE CURRENT LAW IN THE BOOKS,
THE 1849 LAW THEY MENTIONED HAS
NO EXCEPTIONS.
IT DOESN'T MATTER THE
CIRCUMSTANCES.
ABORTION WOULD BE A CRIME.
AND TOO MANY REPUBLICAN
POLITICIANS, I THINK, ARE VERY
COMFORTABLE WITH THAT KIND OF A
LAW.
>> Zac: POLLING SHOWS THAT MOST
WISCONSINITES SUPPORT SOME LEVEL
OF ABORTION RIGHTS.
BUT OBVIOUSLY SOME OF THOSE
SUPPORTERS HAVE VOTED FOR
REPUBLICANS IN THE PAST.
DO YOU THINK OVERTURNING ROE V
WADE WILL CHANGE HOW THEY VOTE?
ARE THEY REACHABLE FOR
DEMOCRATS?
>> Senator Roys: THEY
ABSOLUTELY ARE.
THIS IS A VERY DIFFERENT
POLITICAL ENVIRONMENT.
IT'S BEEN EASY FOR REPUBLICANS
TO TAKE THESE ANTI-CHOICE VOTES.
YOU KNOW? REALLY EXTREME
POSITIONS LIKE NO EXCEPTIONS FOR
RAPE OR INCEST OR FOR A WOMAN'S
HEALTH.
NOW THAT ROE V WADE WILL BE
OVERTURNED, ALMOST CERTAINLY,
THOSE VOTES ARE NO LONGER JUST
SYMBOLIC; RIGHT?
THAT WILL HAVE AN IMPACT ON
PEOPLE'S LIVES.
AND I THINK THEY WILL BE
PUNISHED AT THE BALLOT BOX.
>> Zac: NOW, IF GOVERNOR EVERS
WINS REELECTION THIS FALL.
THE OLD 1849 STATUE IS IN PLACE.
CAN YOU IMAGINE A SCENARIO WHERE
THEY PASS COMPROMISED
LEGISLATION THAT WOULD PUT MORE
RESTRICTIONS ON ABORTION THAN
CURRENTLY EXIST UNDER ROE V WADE
BUT NOT AS RESTRICTIVE AS THE
1849 LAW?
IS THERE MIDDLE GROUND IF
REPUBLICANS CAN'T FIT EVERYTHING
THEY WANT BUT THE 1849 LAW IS ON
THE BOOKS?
>> Senator Roys: I DON'T THINK
THAT IS POSSIBLE IN WISCONSIN.
OUR REPUBLICAN PARTY IS SO
EXTREME THEY WILL NOT HAVE
ENOUGH VOTES TO MOVE LEGISLATION
THAT CHANGES THAT ABORTION
STATUE IN ANY WAY.
THEY'VE JUST GONE SO FAR TO THE
RIGHT THAT I DON'T THINK THEY
CAN GET THEIR PARTY BACK.
PART OF THE PROBLEM IS THE
GERRYMANDERING.
BECAUSE THEY ARE NOT ACCOUNTABLE
FOR VOTERS.
IT'S OUR JOB TO MAKE SURE THE
GOVERNOR AND THE STATEWIDE RACES
GO DEMOCRATIC AND WE ARE
ELECTING PRO-CHOICE PEOPLE.
>> Zac: FORMERLY YOU SERVED AS
THE PRO CHOICE WISCONSIN.
WHAT HAVE YOU BEEN HEARING FROM
WOMEN AND DOCTORS IN THE PAST
WEEK?
WHAT HAVE THEY BEEN TELLING YOU?
>> Senator Roys: THERE IS A
TREMENDOUS AMOUNT OF CONCERN HOW
THIS WILL DEVASTATE PEOPLE'S
LIVES.
THERE IS ALSO QUITE A LOT OF
ENERGY AND HOPE AROUND TRYING TO
PRESERVE ACCESS FOR PEOPLE.
I JUST PUBLISHED AN OP-ED URGING
PEOPLE TO GO GET MEDICATION
PORTION AND JUST HAVE IT ON
HAND.
EVEN IF YOU ARE NOT PREGNANT.
JUST SO IN YOU NEED IT, YOU'LL
VISIT IN YOUR MEDICINE CABINET.
THERE IS A LOT OF ACTIVISM
AROUND THE ELECTION.
AS THEY SAID, WE ARE NOT
POWERLESS TO SAY WE WILL HAVE TO
GO BACK TO 1849.
WE'RE NOT GOING TO GO QUIETLY.
WE NEED TO MAKE OUR VOICES HEARD
AT THE BALLOT BOX.
IF WE DO THAT, IF WE ELECT
DEMOCRATS UP AND DOWN THE
TICKET, WE CAN CAUGHT FUSEAU V
WADE AT THE LEVEL AND MAKE SURE
NO ONE IS PROSECUTED IN
WISCONSIN FOR PROVIDING ABORTION
CARE.
>> Zac: IF THE 1849 LAW SON THE
BOOKS, WOULD YOU ANTICIPATE
LOCAL POLICE OR DISTRICT
ATTORNEYS INVESTIGATING
MISCARRIAGES AND THINGS LIKE
THAT?
>> Senator Roys: THAT IS NOT
CONJECTURE, WE HAVE SEEN THAT
AROUND THE COUNTRY AND IN OTHER
STATES.
I THINK IT'S VERY SCARY.
I'M SOMEONE THAT BELIEVES IN
PUBLIC SAFETY AND WANTS TO HAVE
SAFE NEIGHBORHOODS.
I DON'T THINK WE SHOULD BE
DIVERTING OUR PUBLIC SAFETY
RESOURCES FROM REALLY IMPORTANT
INVESTIGATIONS SO THAT WE CAN GO
AFTER WOMEN WHO MIGHT BE
EXPERIENCING A TRAUMA.
YOU KNOW, SOMEBODY WHO HAS HAD A
MISCARRIAGE, I CAN IMAGINE THE
ONLY THING THAT WOULD HAVE MADE
IT WORSE IS BEING INVESTIGATED
BY THE POLICE INSTEAD OF
RECEIVING APPROPRIATE HEALTH
CARE.
>> Zac: THERE IS A LOT OF
PEOPLE COMMENTING THIS IS
PRIMARILY A WOMAN'S ISSUE.
HOW WOULD YOU RESPOND TO THAT?
WHAT SHOULD MEN BE DOING AT THIS
TIME?
HOW SHOULD THEY BE INVOLVED IN
THIS CONVERSATION?
>> Senator Roys: THIS IS A
GREAT QUESTION.
THIS ABSOLUTELY AFFECTS WOMEN
AND MEN.
THEY SHOULD BE CONCERNED ABOUT
WHAT IT WOULD MEAN TO NOT HAVE
THE OPTION OF ABORTION AVAILABLE
FOR FAMILIES TO CHOOSE.
ANYONE WHO WANTS TO HAVE A KIDS
BUT WANTS TO MAKE SURE THAT
THEIR PARTNER, THEIR FEMALE
PARTNER IS NOT PUT IN JEOPARDY
OF LOSING HER LIFE OR LOSING HER
HEALTH, SHOULD BE WORRIED ABOUT
THIS.
YOU KNOW, ABORTION IS ONE OF
THOSE THINGS YOU DON'T REALLY
THINK ABOUT UNTIL YOU NEED IT.
BUT WHEN YOU NEED IT, YOU REALLY
WANT TO MAKE SURE IT'S SAFE AND
AVAILABLE AND ACCESSIBLE.
AND IT'S VERY IMPORTANT FOR MEN
TO VOTE, AS WELL, SO PRESERVE
ABORTION CARE AND ABORTION
RIGHTS BECAUSE EVEN THOUGH THERE
IS A BIG GENDER GAP WITH PARTY,
IT IS MEN OVERWHELMINGLY WHO
HAVE, SORT OF, BEEN ABLE TO GET
OFF SCOTT FREE BY HAVING
ABORTIONS SO WIDELY AVAILABLE
AND ACCESSIBLE.