As Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker (R) continues to flirt with a presidential run, he has placed himself at the center of an abortion debate in his home state.
It’s a position Walker has relished before.
In 2013, he signed a bill into law that required women seeking abortions to get ultrasounds. It’s a law he brought up as recently as last month during an interview with conservative radio host Dana Loesch.
“I think about my sons who are 19 and 20, and we still have their first ultrasounds,” Walker said. “It’s just a cool thing out there.”
This time around, Walker has thrown his support behind a 20-week abortion ban being debated in the state legislature.
The measure, which in its current form doesn’t provide exceptions for pregnancies caused by rape and incest, was debated Tuesday at a joint legislative hearing. No vote has been scheduled, but Walker has said he plans to sign the bill if it comes to his desk.
Here are five things to know about the Wisconsin bill:
What Walker Said About Rape And Incest
Walker said Monday that he’d sign the bill even if it didn’t contain an exception for rape and incest.
“I mean, I think for most people who are concerned about that, it’s in the initial months where they’re most concerned about it,” Walker said.
Walker also said “we feel strongly about” the 20-week abortion ban because “it’s an unborn life, it’s an unborn child.”
Sponsor Wants To Stop Abortions Performed ‘Just To Kill The Child’
One of the sponsors of the bill, Rep. Jesse Kremer (R) said during the hearing Tuesday that the language of the bill was intended to prevent physicians from performing an abortion “just to kill the child.”
“In this bill we have language added that we want to make sure that it’s not gonna be intentional killing of the child just to kill the child,” Kremer said. “They’re gonna have to do whatever they can for the child also whenever possible.”
Democrat Clashes With Another Sponsor Over Medical Training
During the same hearing, state Sen. Mary Lazich (R), another sponsor of the bill, questioned the importance of the measure being written by someone with medical training.
Her questions came during an exchange with a Democratic lawmaker who asked, “Can I ask who wrote the bill and did they have medical training?”
Lazich said a drafting attorney wrote the bill, before asking: “What does that have to do with the bill?”
The Bill Would Let Fathers Sue For ‘Distress’
The bill includes language that would allow fathers who disagree with the abortion to sue the physician “for personal injury and emotional and psychological distress,” according to the Huffington Post.
The measure would give a father this right regardless of whether he has a relationship with the mother as long as the pregnancy did not result from rape or incest, the news site reported. The mother is also allowed to sue the physician under this bill, HuffPo reported.
Doctors Are Worried About Jail Time
During the public hearing on Tuesday, several medical professionals expressed concern that the bill would compromise care during medical emergencies, the Capital Times newspaper reported.
Dr. Kathy Hartke, chairwoman of the Wisconsin section of the American Congress of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, said she believed the medical emergency provision was meant to “scare” physicians and deter them from performing abortions after the 20-week mark, according to the newspaper.
The Herald said the measure would hit doctors who perform an abortion after the 20-week mark with fines or jail time.
The bill also says that doctors must provide “the best opportunity for the unborn child to survive” if a medical emergency comes up after the 20-week mark that requires terminating the pregnancy, the Herald reported.
This language has raised concerns among doctors, the newspaper reported, that the unborn baby’s health will be weighed against the mother’s life.
