Wisconsin Senate candidates seek abortion action from Congress

Wisconsin Senate candidates seek abortion action

Anyone running for office this fall, whether it be to serve in Madison or Washington, had better be ready to make their views on abortion very clear -- because voters will be asking about it.

MILWAUKEE - Anyone running for office this fall, whether it be to serve in Madison or Washington, had better be ready to make their views on abortion very clear because voters will be asking about it.

A lot of candidates aren't waiting to be asked.

This, with protests popping up in Wisconsin like one at Red Arrow Park in Milwaukee Wednesday, May 4. They're angry with the Supreme Court draft opinion POLITICO reported. It suggests the justices will overturn that precedent of 49 years.

Others are happy in a state that has a pre-Roe ban of abortions that could be coming back.

As the dust settles from a Supreme Court bombshell, abortion opponents still waited outside a Milwaukee abortion clinic Wednesday.

"Thirty-eight and a half years I’ve been praying against abortion," said Terry Fischer of Waukesha. "I think it’s a start."

Protesters at Red Arrow Park disagreed, and Wisconsin Democrats running for U.S. Senate are calling on Congress to protect abortion.

"This is just a colossal mess," said Tom Nelson, Democratic U.S. Senate candidate.

"I’m terrified of this decision," said Sarah Godlewski, Democratic U.S. Senate candidate.

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"This now continues to show again what this choice of the election is about," said Alex Lasry, Democratic U.S. Senate candidate. "Congress needs to start doing its job. The court can’t be legislating from the bench. We need Congress to start legislating from the halls of the Capitol, and that’s why I’m calling for getting rid of the filibuster, to codify Roe v .Wade."

Senators need 60 votes to overcome the filibuster. These candidates say it's time to get rid of that tradition.

"One of the reasons I believe the Senate is broken is because of the filibuster," said Godlewski. "We go to Washington – we have to allow the majority to rule to be able to pass things."

"I’m against it," said Fischer. "I don’t know what else say. I’m against abortion, so I’m going to be against them as candidates."

Democrat Mandela Barnes is also calling for the end of the filibuster.

Republican Senator Ron Johnson says life begins at conception. He said in a statement that each state should decide this moral issue through the democratic process.

The Marquette University Law School poll released in December found respondents feel abortion should be:

Legal in all cases: 23%
Legal in most cases: 38%
Illegal in most cases: 23%
Illegal in all cases: 11%