(WAOW) — A new bill in Wisconsin would make it harder for women to get an abortion.
Senator Patrick Testin, (R) Stevens Point said the bill would end what he calls “Discriminatory Abortion.”
Testin said it is aimed at protecting unborn babies.
The bill would make it illegal to have the procedure done due to race, sex or if the unborn child has a potential diagnosis of down syndrome or other congenital disabilities.
Testin believes those reasons aren’t good enough for expecting mothers to end their pregnancies.
“If as a state we don’t stand up for these individuals and say their life doesn’t have the same value as a normal person that’s really sad,” said Testin.
It’s not the mothers who get in trouble for getting an abortion under these circumstances, it would be doctors that would be held accountable.
“I think when you take a look at the issue for life for me personally I see that it’s under assault right now and as lawmakers we need to stand up for those who are most vulnerable in our society,” Testin said.
“I think that people who are pregnant are the best ones to make decisions about when and how and if they get pregnant and when and if they would terminate a pregnancy,” said Andrea Huggenvik the Executive Director of YWCA Wausau.
“There’s a million reasons why someone might want to terminate a pregnancy it’s none of our business and they know much more of what’s going on that we could know,” Huggenvik said.
Current abortion laws in Wisconsin requires a pregnant women to wait at least 24 hours after her initial consult to terminate her pregnancy.
The bill is set to hit the state house soon.
Testin said the bill would also allow some leeway.
For example, if a pregnant woman knows her child will have a very short life after birth, then she could get an abortion.
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