Dane County Executive Parisi’s Statement on U.S. Supreme Court Overturning Roe v. Wade

June 24, 2022
Ariana Vruwink, 608-267-8823
County Executive

Dane County Executive Joe Parisi issued the following statement regarding the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe v. Wade:

“The Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe v. Wade is nothing short of horrific, taking our nation back hundreds of years. Dismantling abortion rights is an assault on women and people across this country, and will have far-reaching impacts on the physical, mental, and economic well-being of American families for decades to come.

“Abortions are a part of essential health care. Abortion rights are supported by the World Health Organization, the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, and the Society for Maternal-Fetal Medicine. One in four women have an abortion by age 45, and a majority of the U.S. population supports their right to do so.

“Unless Congress chooses to act, the Supreme Court’s ruling means abortion rights will now be determined by states. Yet, just yesterday this exact same Supreme Court ruled states had limited authority to establish restrictions for concealed carry. These decisions are contradictory and point out the ongoing hypocrisy of deciding cases by political motivations instead of overarching constitutional principles.

“People need abortions—when their birth control fails, after a sexual assault, to save their life, or simply because they don’t want to be pregnant. To force people—some of them children themselves—to give birth when they don’t want to is inhumane and appalling. This is a shameful day for our country, and a shameful day for the Wisconsin State Legislature, which refuses to update a statute from 1849 that bans almost all abortions in Wisconsin.

“In an alarming solo concurring opinion by Justice Clarence Thomas, he suggests the Supreme Court should reconsider rulings that protect contraception, same-sex relationships, and same-sex marriage. We are seeing in real time a politically motivated attack to strip people who give birth of their constitutional rights, and it seems abortion rights may not be the only issue on the table.

“Let me be clear—Dane County has and will continue to be a progressive beacon for the rest of the state. We will do all we can to support women and people who give birth so that we can ensure all people in our county can be as healthy and safe as possible.”