WI Gov Doyle Vetoes Republican Abortion Plan

From Associated Press, 1/07/06

MADISON, Wis. - Gov. Jim Doyle on Friday vetoed a bill that would have forced doctors to tell women seeking abortions after their fifth month of pregnancy that their fetuses could suffer pain.

Doyle, a Democrat, said there is no evidence conclusively proving when a fetus can feel pain. The Republican-controlled Legislature should not be allowed to decide scientific fact, he said.

"It would be reckless to inject a requirement that doctors communicate unproven science to their patients during an already difficult and sometimes traumatic time," Doyle wrote in his veto message. "This bill intrudes on the doctor-patient relationship ... and contravenes the requirement that doctors provide objective and accurate information to their patients."

When a fetus can feel pain is a matter of debate in the medical community. The bill's supporters say some research supports the theory that a fetus can feel pain at the 20th week of pregnancy. Opponents say none of those claims have been proven.

Bob Delaporte, a spokesman for Republican Assembly Speaker John Gard accused Doyle of "ignoring the science on this one."

Women seeking abortions in Wisconsin already must be given information on alternatives to ending their pregnancies. They also must wait 24 hours after a counseling session to have the procedure performed.

•  Good on you Gov. Doyle

  With a Republican Congress, the only way to stop this bill was the veto.  Thank you Gov. Doyle.

  by Miss Blue on Sat Jan 07, 2006 at 08:20:53 AM PDT

•  Deeds vs Talk

  Hopefully NARAL will stop fawning over republicans long enough to support a real defender of choice in his re-election fight this year.

  by savvyspy on Sat Jan 07, 2006 at 08:25:17 AM PDT

  •  I agree

    Doyle's going to have a tough fight.  He'll carry Madison and Milwaukee, but the purple parts of the state are going to be an uphill battle.  I'm hoping the self-destruction of the Republican party will tip the scales in his favor.

    by Miss Blue on Sat Jan 07, 2006 at 08:28:25 AM PDT

    •  Milwaukee turnout

      Sadly, Doyle is less popular than he should be in the city of Milwaukee and the inner-ring suburbs. Oh, he'll win the city of course and be competetive in West Allis, Wauwatosa, Cudahy and Shorewood, but the J-S hit pieces on him come pretty regularly and make him out to be a sleaze without holding Walker up to the same scrutiny. Doyle will have to do exeptionally well in the purple places outside of Milwaukee County to ballance what I fear will be low turnout and a possible thankyou vote to Walker for playing tax warrior (of course anybody who visits the parks or uses public transit won't be thanking Walker). And though I once figured Green to be a lightweight and my far the easier opponent, the more I've looked into and looked at poll numbers, the tougher Green looks too. Could Ed Thompson be persuaded to play spoiler again?

      I've said before and I'll say again, Doyle is a nearly heroic figure to me at this point, standing and stopping the barbarians at the gates from turning our state into Wississippi.

      by pHunbalanced on Sat Jan 07, 2006 at 09:07:33 AM PDT

  •  NARAL-Wisconsin is fawning over Repubs? n/t

    by Naranjadia on Sat Jan 07, 2006 at 08:38:09 AM PDT

•  Drats, Miss Blue!

  You beat me by 7 minutes, so I've deleted my diary.  Here is an excerpt:

  This legislative session at least 10 bills were introduced to the Wisconsin legislature that seek to limit reproductive rights in the state.   Among the bills proposed in our state is one that seeks to ban the recommendation, dispensation or advertising of all birth control forms on University of Wisconsin campuses (including, of course, emergency contraception).
   Some of the bills, like the UW bill, seem so preposterous that it's hard to imagine them passing.  However, at an AAUW policy meeting I attended, Kelda Helen Roys, the state president of NARAL, spoke of the current legislative climate.  She described meeting with one legislator who routinely votes for measures like this.  He admitted that he knew they were bad legislation, but he also knew that Governor Doyle would veto them, so he was safe to vote in favor and appear duly conservative to his constituents.

  There is a lot of funding coming from outside the state to support these anti-choice measures.  They don't reflect the preferences of a lot of Wisconsin residents, but somehow our legislators aren't getting the message.  Many of us in this state realize by what a thin thread our reproductive rights are being held.  We really depend on Doyle's veto.
  

  by Naranjadia on Sat Jan 07, 2006 at 08:35:32 AM PDT

  •  I saw it.

    I was going to tell you to keep it up, and I'd delete mine as I thought your's was better and POOF!, it was gone, lol.

    I can't do the links stuff - computer illiterate.  So sorry - I owe you one.

    by Miss Blue on Sat Jan 07, 2006 at 08:42:30 AM PDT

•  Naranjadia -

  If that bill to ban contraception on campus passes, the students will be hitting State Street in droves.  Madison is way too liberal to tolerate that bullshit.  Sure way for the Repubs to shoot themselves in the foot.

  by Miss Blue on Sat Jan 07, 2006 at 08:45:51 AM PDT

  •  I know!

    Can you imagine?  Even up here in Eau Claire where the students are a tad more ... passive, shall we say ... when I told my freshman class about the bill they nearly fell over in their seats.  I think some of them would take to the streets should it ever pass.

    Logistically, it's a nightmare of idea, unless they're trying to promote marriage [i]a la[/i] shotgun!
    

    by Naranjadia on Sat Jan 07, 2006 at 08:50:07 AM PDT

  •  The Rethugs don't care about students

    They've cut funding to the university system by over $250 million. They've raised tuition by about 10% a year for the past four years. They've cut classes such that some required classes aren't offered often enough for students in some majors to graduate in even five years, then followed that up with a bill to nearly double tuition for people who haven't graduated after accumulating a certain number of credits. They've accused us of being unpatriotic, and even of supporting terrorism. They've attacked our professors for telling the truth about such things as evolution, sex education, and basic constitutional rights. They've attacked the grad student unions, arguing that we're overpaid (even with our new contract, we still make less than TA's at comparable universities) and don't deserve health insurance, while giving themselves large raises every year. Now they're attacking students' reproductive rights.

    The obvious pattern here is that the Rethugs in our legislature despise students. Every one of my fellow students in Wisconsin who doesn't have his/her head firmly lodged where the sun doesn't shine knows it. Of course we'll protest if the Rethugs manage to pass anything like the ban -- just like we protested everything else. But it doesn't matter to Rethugs. They hate us, and they hate education. Anything that doesn't give the bastards total control over the lives of the little people, or that informs people about their corruption and greed, they're going to oppose.

    by wiscmass on Sat Jan 07, 2006 at 11:24:02 AM PDT

•  I am so pleased

  that Wisconsin finally has a Dem governor who does things like veto this bill and sign a bill that requires that all electronic voting systems have open source code.

  by dwahzon on Sat Jan 07, 2006 at 08:48:21 AM PDT

•  On his Reelection...

  I think Kohl should come out strong for Doyle. if he does that Doyle will have a better shot at winning the Purple areas.

  by dieharddemocrat on Sat Jan 07, 2006 at 10:54:51 AM PDT

  •  Trouble is,,,,,

    Kohl is up for re-election himself.  I'd like to see Russ come out in support.  He's in a safe seat, and popular, so it should mean something.

    by Miss Blue on Sat Jan 07, 2006 at 11:21:48 AM PDT