Wisconsin governor Scott Walker signed a controversial abortion bill into law Friday, requiring hospitals that perform the procedures to have admitting privileges. Women undergoing the procedure are also required to undergo an ultrasound.
Gov. Walker signed the bill amidst the long Fourth of July weekend, despite the bill being passed in mid-June by the Republican-controlled Legislature. Opponents of the measure claim he did so to bury the news of the signing.
"That's his prerogative. He's the governor," Planned Parenthood of Wisconsin attorney Lester Pines said. "But he's not going to win a profile in courage award."
The bill will effectively close two of the four abortion providers in the state. According to the Milwaukee-Wisconsin Journal Sentinel, Affiliated would have to close its only abortion clinic in Milwaukee, and Planned Parenthood would have to close its clinic in Appleton. The remaining clinics would be in Milwaukee and Madison, both of which would be run by Planned Parenthood.
Republicans across the country are trying to pass measures to limit the number of abortions. North Dakota has the most restrictive anti-abortion laws in the nation according to Yahoo News. Abortions are banned as early as six weeks into the pregnancy in the state, while in Arkansas abortions are banned after twelve weeks.
Pines noted that the new law in Wisconsin closely resembles one in Alabama that requires admitting privileges at local hospitals. The law was temporarily blocked by a judge in June after the American Civil Liberties Union and Planned Parenthood sued because the law would close three of the five abortion providers in the state. Pines went on to say that lawsuits would be filed in Wisconsin as well.
"You cannot prohibit a doctor from performing a medical service merely because a private entity won't sanction that," Pines said. "It unconstitutionally infringes on the right of women in Wisconsin to have access to abortion services."