2016 GOPer Scott Walker Signs 20-Week Abortion Ban

Republican presidential candidate Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker addresses a crowd at Giese Manufacturing, Sunday, July 19, 2015, in Dubuque, Iowa. (Mike Burley/Telegraph Herald via AP)
Start your day with TPM.
Sign up for the Morning Memo newsletter

OSHKOSH, Wis. (AP) — Republican Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker has signed a bill that outlaws non-emergency abortions at or beyond 20 weeks of pregnancy.

Walker signed the bill on Monday, one week after he officially launched his campaign for president. Wisconsin becomes the 15th state with a 20-week abortion ban.

Under the new law, doctors who perform an abortion at or after 20 weeks in non-emergency situations could face up to $10,000 in fines and 3½ years in prison. Doctors could also be sued for damages.

The law’s supporters say fetuses can feel pain after 20 weeks and the measure will spare them the agony of being killed. The American Congress of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, however, says fetuses can’t feel pain until the third trimester begins at 27 weeks.

Copyright 2015 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Latest News

Notable Replies

  1. All hail the fetus! Human incubators not so much.

  2. “The American Congress of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, however, says fetuses can’t feel pain until the third trimester begins at 27 weeks.”

    This isn't a real scientific finding unless The American Congress of Obstetricians and Gynecologists can provide a Biblical citation for their assertion.
  3. Blatantly unconstitutional—and Walker will face no wrath from his insensate base for signing it.

  4. Avatar for docb docb says:

    Facts that should be repeated time and again…

    • The abortion rate is lower in ‘liberal’ states than ‘conservative’ states;
    • Abortion restrictions do not make abortion less common; they ensure embryos develop further before being terminated;
    • Suicide rates for women with unplanned pregnancy are higher in states with few or no clinics or that impose hassles and expense such as waiting periods or police-state shaming techniques such as vaginal wand ultrasound;
    • Rich women will always have safe private medical abortions - the debate Walker, Perry, etc are having is how much to torment middle class and poor women;
    • If you are anti-abortion you should embrace and fund easy access to birth control since (again) states making birth control easy have lower abortion rates.
    • The brain stem and nervous system are not connected till 23 weeks…

    These LYING kock owned impotent little tea gop cretins are just scared of the power of WOMEN…

Continue the discussion at forums.talkingpointsmemo.com

3 more replies

Participants

Avatar for system1 Avatar for RhondaPainter Avatar for steviedee111 Avatar for sonsofares Avatar for docb Avatar for pb Avatar for mollyjb Avatar for thunderclapnewman

Continue Discussion
Masthead Masthead
Founder & Editor-in-Chief:
Executive Editor:
Managing Editor:
Deputy Editor:
Editor at Large:
General Counsel:
Publisher:
Head of Product:
Director of Technology:
Associate Publisher:
Front End Developer:
Senior Designer: