Wisconsin Supreme Court Reviews 1849 Abortion Ban Amid Legal Challenges

The court, with a liberal majority, is expected to rule on the enforceability of the state's pre-Civil War abortion law.

The Wisconsin Supreme Court is deliberating on whether the 1849 abortion ban can still be enforced following the overturn of Roe v. Wade.
Liberal justices, who control the court, appear skeptical of the ban's applicability, suggesting a potential ruling against its enforcement.
The 1849 law, which criminalizes abortion except to save the mother's life, was nullified by Roe v. Wade but reinstated after its repeal in 2022.
Attorney General Josh Kaul argues that a 1985 law allowing abortions before 21 weeks supersedes the 1849 statute.
Planned Parenthood resumed abortion services in Wisconsin after a 2023 ruling clarified the 1849 law does not apply to consensual abortions.