Reproduction rights rally set for Sunday in Sheboygan in wake of Roe v. Wade reversal; Grothman commends ruling
SHEBOYGAN - The Sheboygan Abortion Rights Coalition will host a Rally for Reproductive Freedom at noon Sunday at the southeast corner of 14th Street and Erie Avenue.
The rally comes after the Supreme Court on Friday overturned Roe v. Wade, the 1973 landmark ruling that legalized abortions at the federal level.
"We need our biggest showing yet of Roe supporters!" the group wrote for the event on Facebook. "Abortions are already inaccessible in the state of Wisconsin and will now become unavailable. ... We need a lot of help from you to bridge the gap in women's healthcare."
In response to the Supreme Court decision, Planned Parenthood of Sheboygan County has stopped offering abortion care, in addition to the two other locations in Wisconsin — in Milwaukee and Madison — that offered abortion care.
The Sheboygan Press reached out to the Sheboygan Planned Parenthood for a comment and received this statement, from Planned Parenthood of Wisconsin President and CEO Tanya Atkinson, forwarded in response: “The Supreme Court has taken away our constitutional right to abortion. This ruling takes away the freedom to control our bodies and personal health care decisions, giving it to politicians to decide.”
After the Supreme Court's decision in Roe v. Wade Friday, determining to offer abortion services will now be left to states.
An 1849 Wisconsin law that bans doctors from performing abortions, except in life-saving situations for the mother, could be put back in place. Doctors who perform abortions under the state law could be charged with felonies, face up to six years in prison and $10,000 in fines.
However, the law is expected to be challenged in court.
Planned Parenthood of Wisconsin is waiting to receive clarification on whether the law is enforceable, Atkinson said in a news release.
U.S. Rep. Glenn Grothman, a Republican who represents Wisconsin's Sixth Congressional District that covers Sheboygan County, shared his support of the Supreme Court’s decision in a news release Friday.
“I commend the six Justices who voted to overturn Roe for having the courage to base their decision on sound legal principles rather than a fashionable line of thinking that rules academia, Hollywood and the mainstream media,” Grothman said in the release.
The Democratic and Republican parties of Sheboygan also shared comments on their Facebook pages Friday:
“Roe is gone,” the Sheboygan County Democratic Party wrote.
The Sheboygan County GOP wrote, in part: “The Unborn have a temporary reprieve in America today. The fight has just begun.”
Atkinson said the Supreme Court’s decision is “devastating.”
“Deciding if or when to become a parent is one of the most personal, life-changing decisions people make," Atkinson said. "You deserve the right to control your own body, life, and future. And access the health care that you need."
Anchor of Hope, a sexual health clinic and faith-based nonprofit organization in Sheboygan, said in a news release that the Supreme Court’s decision was “monumental.”
Jacky Drewery, chief executive officer of Anchor of Hope, said in the news release: “We affirm the dignity of every man, woman and child we serve. All worthy of love and welcome in our community. We are here to provide professional and compassionate care and help those we serve overcome whatever obstacles they may be facing. Pregnancy medical centers exist to love and serve parents, present and future. Their children are the beneficiaries of our support.”
Contact Alex Garner at 224-374-2332 or agarner@gannett.com. Follow her on Twitter at @alexx_garner.
This article originally appeared on Sheboygan Press: Sheboygan Rally for Reproductive Freedom set after abortion ruling
