PARENTHOOD OF WISCONSIN, THANKS
VERY MUCH.
>> THANK YOU SO MUCH.
>> ANTI-ABORTION ADVOCATES WHO
WERE CELEBRATING THIS TIME LAST
YEAR CALL THE NEWS DEVASTATING.
WE TURN NOW TO GRACIE SKOGMAN,
LEGISLATIVE DIRECTOR FOR
WISCONSIN RIGHT TO LIFE.
THANKS VERY MUCH FOR BEING HERE.
>> THANK YOU FOR HAVING ME.
>> DESCRIBE WHY YOU CALL THIS
DEVASTATING.
>> YOU KNOW, WE HAVE SEEN AND
MET MANY OF THESE CHILDREN
FIRSTHAND WHO ARE HERE TODAY
BECAUSE ROE WAS OVERTURNED AND
THIS LAW WAS IN EFFECT IN OUR
STATE HERE IN WISCONSIN.
SO WE CAN'T HELP BUT THINK OF
THESE MOTHERS AND THEIR CHILDREN
AND HOW THIS WILL IMPACT THEM.
THIS WAS A REALLY POWERFUL TIME
IN OUR STATE TO SHOW THAT WE
VALUE ALL PREBORN LIFE AND NOW
IT'S VERY, VERY DIFFERENT, WILL
BE VERY DIFFERENT ON MONDAY IN
WISCONSIN.
>> HOW SURPRISED WERE YOU BY
THIS ANNOUNCEMENT BY PLANNED
PARENTHOOD?
>> YOU KNOW, COMING BACK TO THIS
SPRING, WE KNEW THAT THE
ELECTION OF THE NEW SUPREME
COURT JUSTICE WOULD HAVE A VERY
BIG IMPACT ON THIS FIGHT TO
PROTECT LIFE, BUT I THINK WE'RE
STILL SURPRISED TO SEE THIS
PREEMPTIVE DECISION BY PLANNED
PARENTHOOD SINCE THIS MATTER IS
STILL TO BE DECIDED BY THE
COURTS.
SO THAT WAS SURPRISING TO US BUT
AT THE SAME TIME, WE KNEW THAT
THIS BATTLE WAS GOING TO RAMP UP
AFTER THE RESULTS OF THE
ELECTION.
>> DOES WISCONSIN RIGHT TO LIFE
PLAN TO FILE ANY KIND OF LEGAL
CHANNELING AGAINST PLANNED
PARENTHOOD NOW -- CHALLENGE
AGAINST PLANNED PARENTHOOD AT
THIS POINT?
>> WE ARE LOOKING AT ALL
OPTIONS, WHETHER THAT BE LEGAL,
LEGISLATIVE, TO SEE WHAT OPTIONS
WE HAVE TO FIGHT BACK AGAINST
THIS, BUT I THINK OUR MOST
POWERFUL TOOL IS THE PREGNANCY
RESOURCE CENTERS HERE IN THE
STATE, ENSURING THAT THEY ARE
FULLY FUNDED AND ABLE TO PROVIDE
SERVICES TO WOMEN.
>> SO GIVEN THE SHIFTING PUBLIC
OPINION TO SUPPORT ABORTION, ARE
THERE ANY SITUATIONS THAT
WISCONSIN RIGHT TO LIFE WOULD
SUPPORT LEGAL ABORTIONS?
>> SO WE HAVE ALWAYS BEEN IN
FAVOR OF HAVING PROTECTIONS WHEN
THERE'S A MEDICAL EMERGENCY.
WE THINK THAT'S VERY IMPORTANT
AND THAT'S BEEN CONSISTENT
THROUGH OUR HISTORY AT WISCONSIN
RIGHT TO LIFE AND REMAINS OUR
POSITION TODAY.
>> SO OUR RECENT REPORT QUOTED
DOCTORS WHO SAID ABORTION IS
HEALTHCARE AND SHOULD BE THE
DECISION OF THE PATIENT.
WHAT DO YOU SAY TO PATIENTS WHO
FEAR THAT THEIR FETUS WILL
SUFFER OR THEIR HEALTH AND LIFE
ARE AT RISK WITHOUT AN ABORTION?
>> AGAIN, IN THE CASE OF A
MEDICAL EMERGENCY, WE, YOU KNOW,
UNDERSTAND AND BELIEVE THAT
THERE SHOULD BE THAT PROTECTION
IN THE CASE OF A MEDICAL
EMERGENCY.
BUT WHEN WE THINK ABOUT
HEALTHCARE, ULTIMATELY THE GOAL
IS ALWAYS TO PROTECT LIFE, AND
WE ARE TALKING ABOUT PROTECTING
THE MOST VULNERABLE LIFE IN OUR
SOCIETY, AND THAT IS THESE
UNBORN CHILDREN.
>> SO YOU SPOKE TO THIS A MOMENT
AGO.
WHAT DO YOUR ATTORNEYS SAY ABOUT
WHETHER THE DANE COUNTY JUDGE'S
ORDER THAT SAID THERE IS NO SUCH
THING AS AN ABORTION BAN IN
WISCONSIN, REPRESENTS AN ACTUAL
WINDOW OF LEGALITY FOR THE
RESUMPTION OF ABORTION
PROCEDURES IN THIS STATE?
>> WE CERTAINLY BELIEVE THAT THE
ISSUE HAS YET TO BE DECIDED BY
THE COURTS.
I KNOW THAT IT'S EXPECTED THAT
THIS WILL COME BEFORE THE STATE
SUPREME COURT AND, AGAIN, WE ARE
SURPRISED BY PLANNED PARENTHOOD
TAKING THIS ACTION, WE THINK
THAT IT IS EARLY TO RESUME
SERVICES WHEN THE ISSUE IS YET
TO BE DECIDED.
>> SO IS WISCONSIN RIGHT TO LIFE
CALLING ON JUSTICE PROTASIEWICZ
TO RECUSE FROM THE UNDERLYING
LAWSUIT OVA OVER THE 1849 ABORTN
STATUTE?
>> WE DID SEE ON HER CAMPAIGN
TRAIL THAT SHE MADE HER ISSUE,
HER OPINION ON THIS ISSUE VERY
CLEAR, AND THAT IS CERTAINLY
CONCERNING FOR ANY SITTING
JUSTICE IN THE STATE SUPREME
COURT.
>> ARE YOU ASKING HER TO STEP
ASIDE FROM THAT CASE?
>> WE'RE NOT COMMENTING ON THAT
SPECIFICALLY, BUT CERTAINLY HAVE
CONCERNS ABOUT HOW SHE MADE HER
OPINIONS SO CLEAR WHILE SHE WAS
RUNNING FOR THAT OFFICE.
>> GIVEN THAT PLANNED PARENTHOOD
WILL START OFFERING ABORTION
SERVICES ON MONDAY AND THEY HAVE
ALREADY BEEN SCHEDULING THOSE
APPOINTMENTS AND HAVE BEEN
TAKING A LOT OF CALLS FROM
PEOPLE SEEKING THAT SERVICE,
WHAT WILL THAT MEAN FOR THE
PREGNANCY RESOURCE CENTERS THAT,
IN SOME CASES, ARE REALLY RIGHT
NEXTDOOR TO PLANNED PARENTHOOD
CLINICS?
HOW WILL THAT CHANGE WHAT THOSE
RESOURCE CENTERS DO NOW?
>> THE RESOURCE CENTERS THROUGH
THE PAST YEAR IN A POST-ROE
WISCONSIN, HAVE TRULY STEPPED
UP.
THEY'RE SEEING IN MANY CASES
DOUBLE THE CLIENTS, AND IT'S SO
POWERFUL TO SEE THE
RELATIONSHIPS OF TRUST THAT THEY
BUILD WITH THESE WOMEN.
THESE WOMEN ARE NOT ONLY
RECEIVING LIFE-AFFIRMING CARE,
BUT IN MANY CASES, THEY ARE
RECEIVING SAFE AND SECURE
HOUSING, THEY ARE RECEIVING
OTHER OPTIONS FOR COMPREHENSIVE
HEALTHCARE.
SO I THINK THAT ONCE THE CENTER
HAS BUILT THAT RELATIONSHIP WITH
A WOMAN, SHE'S MUCH MORE LIKELY
TO COME BACK IF SHE'S IN NEED OF
SUPPORT AND TELL HER COMMUNITY
ABOUT THOSE SERVICES.
SO I THINK THAT WE WILL CONTINUE
TO SEE THESE PREGNANCY RESOURCE
CENTERS SEE AN INCREASE IN
CLIENTS.
>> ALL RIGHT.