Wisconsin's abortion ban turns 174 as decisive Supreme Court race approaches

Friend, this past weekend marked the 174th anniversary of the Wisconsin Legislature passing the abortion ban that is in effect today. March 31 will bring the anniversary of that ban being signed into law. And days later, on [April 4, Wisconsin voters]( will go to the polls with a choice between a candidate who wants to repeal that 1849 law and one who has "provided great counsel" to anti-abortion groups. [Can you chip in $5 to help restore abortion rights in Wisconsin by electing Janet Protasiewicz to the state Supreme Court?]( [DONATE]( It’s a choice between 19th-century abortion law and a return to the abortion laws that prevailed from 1973 until 2022, when the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade. It really is that choice, because the winner of the April 4 election will determine control of the Wisconsin Supreme Court, which will be hearing a challenge to that 1849 law. Dan Kelly, the far-right former justice opposing Janet Protasiewicz, has been trying to hide from his record on abortion and other issues. He may not want to tell voters what he believes now, but between 2012 and 2015 he was writing things about how the reason people support abortion rights is “To preserve sexual libertinism.” Instead of being up-front about his views now, he’s attacking Protasiewicz for being honest about her own positions. He’s trying to frame the election as one between “the rule of law” and “the rule of Janet,” arguing that she will be an extremist judge. But in addition to his enthusiastic endorsements from multiple anti-abortion groups, financial disclosures show that Kelly has spent the past two years since leaving the court doing a lot of work for the Republican Party and for right-wing groups, much of it related to efforts to overturn the 2020 election and lay the groundwork for future election challenges. One of these people is a professional partisan, and it’s not the one who has spent her career working for the state of Wisconsin. What’s it going to be, Wisconsin? The guy who would uphold the 174-year-old abortion ban, or the woman who’d restore abortion rights to the state? [The choice is clear. We have an opportunity to help elect a real progressive that will uphold our rights. Please donate $10, $20, or even $50 now to help Janet Protaseiwicz flip the Wisconsin Supreme Court.]( [DONATE]( Thank you, Laura Clawson, Daily Kos Daily Kos, PO Box 70036, Oakland, CA, 94612. Sent via [ActionNetwork.org](. To update your email address, change your name or address, or to stop receiving emails from Daily Kos, please [click here](.