Wisconsin abortion law: Where Crowley, Tiffany stand
Abortion law: Where Crowley, Tiffany stand
Abortion hasn't been a major focus in the race for Wisconsin governor, but with just four weeks to go, one candidate is making a new push.
MILWAUKEE - Abortion hasn't been a major focus in the race for Wisconsin governor, but with just four weeks to go, Democrat David Crowley is making a new push.
Constitutional amendment?
What they're saying:
Crowley announced he backs a push to amend the Wisconsin Constitution to make abortion a constitutional right.
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"I'm also a girl dad times three, and so this isn't just a policy debate for me. It's personal. You know, when I look at my three daughters, I think about the Wisconsin I want them to grow up in, a Wisconsin where they have the same rights to make their own decisions, the same rights their mother and grandmother had," Crowley said at a campaign event inside Milwaukee’s Turner Hall. He was joined by his running mate, Wisconsin Secretary of State Sarah Godlewski, and U.S. Sen. Tammy Baldwin.
"David Crowley voted against requiring medical care for a baby born alive, and now he is trying to distract from his own extreme record because he supports abortion up until birth. I will uphold Wisconsin’s current law. David Crowley will take Wisconsin from where we are today to one of the most extreme abortion policies in the country," said U.S. Rep. Tom Tiffany, Crowley's Republican opponent.
What's next:
To change the Wisconsin Constitution is not up to the governor, but the Legislature and voters. First, for two consecutive two-year sessions, the Legislature passes a resolution and then it goes to voters for the final say in a binding referendum.
Last month, Planned Parenthood of Wisconsin sued in state court, urging the court to find that the Wisconsin Constitution already offers a right to abortion.
Wisconsin abortion law
The backstory:
Right now, Wisconsin law bans abortions after 20 weeks. A separate and older law bans abortion after viability. Both offer exceptions for the life or health of the mother. Wisconsin law also requires informed consent and a 24-hour waiting period. It also requires the woman be given an ultrasound before an abortion.
In 2025, the Wisconsin Supreme Court ruled a state law from 1849 that both sides still call an "abortion ban" did not, in fact, ban abortion.
In Congress, Republican U.S. Rep. Tom Tiffany sponsored the Heartbeat Bill, which would ban abortions, with exceptions, when a heartbeat is detected. He told FOX6 News when he launched his campaign in 2025 that he would uphold the current state law, a 20-week abortion ban.
Wisconsin elections: Legislature control up for grabs in November
With control of the state's future on the ballot, voters will decide whether Democrats or Republicans control the Wisconsin Legislature.
Crowley, Tiffany on abortion
Dig deeper:
FOX6 News has questioned both candidates about the issue.
Calvi: "Current law is an abortion ban at 20 weeks of pregnancy. Would you sign a bill to get rid of that ban?"
Crowley: "I want to be very clear. We want to keep politics and politicians out of the decisions that should be made between a patient and their healthcare provider. This is a decision between a woman and a healthcare provider, and that's what we’re going to leave it at."
Calvi: "So, would you draw the line at any point in pregnancy?"
Crowley: "This is about keeping politicians like myself out of making those decisions. We have healthcare providers who help to make those decisions. When you think about abortion after the 20-week mark, that happens in a very rare occasion that deals with an extreme, extreme medical position. So, you need to talk to doctors about what they're going to be talking to their patients about."
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In September 2025, Tiffany was asked about his position considering his support for the Heartbeat Bill in Congress.
Calvi: "You supported the six-week abortion ban in Congress. Would you sign that if it came to your desk as governor of Wisconsin?"
Tiffany: "Ten years ago when I was in the State Legislature, I voted for a bill which was a 20-week or five-month bill. I voted for that bill, it is now the law in the State of Wisconsin. I will uphold that law as governor of the State of Wisconsin."
Calvi: "Anything lower than that, like a five or six-week, would you veto that?"
Tiffany: "I'm going to uphold the law that is currently in place. That's the position that I'm going to take. We had a lot of debate in regards to this issue. We ended up with a position at 20 weeks or five months that was the product of compromise. I think that's what the people of the state of Wisconsin wanted. They wanted us to have a compromise that hopefully we can all live with. I'm going to uphold that compromise of a five-month bill we did 10 years ago."
Portions of this article were formatted using A.I. FOX6’s Jason Calvi and an editor reviewed it for accuracy and tone prior to publishing.
The Source: Information in this story was gathered from David Crowley, Tom Tiffany, the Wisconsin Legislative Council and court documents.