Abortion Bill Backed By Walker Would Let Fathers Sue For Emotional ‘Distress’

FILE - In this March 7, 2015, file photo, Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker speaks during the Iowa Agriculture Summit in Des Moines, Iowa. Gov. Walker heads to Europe this week on a trade mission featuring private meetings... FILE - In this March 7, 2015, file photo, Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker speaks during the Iowa Agriculture Summit in Des Moines, Iowa. Gov. Walker heads to Europe this week on a trade mission featuring private meetings with business and government representatives in Germany, France and Spain, as he ramps up for a likely bid for the Republican presidential nomination in 2016. (AP Photo/Charlie Neibergall, File) MORE LESS
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A Wisconsin abortion bill supported by Gov. Scott Walker (R) would allow a father who disagrees with the abortion to sue the physician for “emotional and psychological distress,” the Huffington Post reported on Wednesday.

The bill, which bans abortions 20 weeks after fertilization or in the 22nd week of pregnancy, would reportedly allow the father of the unborn child to sue, regardless of whether he has a relationship with the woman having the abortion.

If the physician gives or tries to give an abortion after the 20-week mark, the father would be able to sue for damages, which include “personal injury and emotional and psychological distress,” according to HuffPo. The site reported that the right would be provided to the father so long as the pregnancy was not the result of rape or incest.

The bill would also allow the mother to sue the doctor, according to the Huffington Post.

Walker has said he will sign the 20-week abortion ban if it comes across his desk. On Monday, Walker defended the bill by saying women are mostly concerned about rape and incest pregnancies “in the initial months.”

And last week, Walker defended an abortion bill he signed into law in 2013 that required women to get ultrasounds before having an abortion. He described the ultrasounds as “pretty cool”.

A joint legislative hearing on the 20-week abortion ban was held on Tuesday by committees from the Wisconsin Assembly and Senate. Although lawmakers are soon expected to vote on the legislation, no vote has been scheduled.

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  1. Oh, so now fathers are going to be interested, after getting to 50 yards away from a woman when she utters those two words: “I’m pregnant.”

  2. Well, you know how this is- the Father is more important than the mother or the fetus or even the inevitable child.

  3. I wouldn’t be surprised if they didn’t even require proof that a guy is indeed the father. It’s just another way to intimidate women. These guys just can’t help themselves when it comes to forcing their beliefs on people.

  4. It seems like it’s more intended to intimidate the doctors until women run out of options. The women are simply disregarded as baby machines for their menfolk.

  5. Walker keeps digging, long after the hole was too deep to climb out of.

    But I’d love to thank the person who handed Li’l Scottie the larger shovel.

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