We also know that, despite Wisconsin(and the country) being a center left state, with the election of Robin Vos and Scott Fitzgerald as the republican "leaders"(term used loosely), that the republican party of Wisconsin has doubled down on a FAR right agenda!
Now after the election, all of the far right extremist groups are coming out of the woodwork to ask for their "gifts" for helping the republicans regain control of our state government. The problem is, the republicans are very eager to grant them anything they wish(despite the fact it goes against everything they campaigned on, but we are used to that in WI)!
First off is Wisconsin Right to Life. Every candidate who spoke up about their extreme true feelings on abortion in the last election(with the exception of Paul Ryan) was easily defeated, but that does not stop WRTL. They want their rewards!
There of course is more:
The state's largest anti-abortion group sees opportunities to place further regulations on abortion, including requiring women seeking the procedure to view an ultrasound of her fetus.
Wisconsin Right to Life is also proposing banning abortions that would cause pain to the fetus, barring abortions that are sought based on the sex of the fetus and prohibiting the ability of state employees to use their state health care plans to access abortions.
Requiring ultrasounds and banning certain abortions based on fetal pain follow a wave of legislation around the country. Backers of abortion say if put into law in Wisconsin, they could prompt lawsuits.
"These bills represent much of what we're seeing across the country," said Elizabeth Nash, state issues manager for the Guttmacher Institute, a reproductive health research group that supports abortion rights.
Abortion opponents were disappointed by President Barack Obama's re-election and the ability of Democrats to retain control of the U.S. Senate. But Wisconsin Right to Life noted in an email to supporters that the election also put all of Wisconsin's state government in the hands of Republicans.
"The silver lining in the November 6 elections is that Wisconsin has a right-to-life governor, Scott Walker, and strong right-to-life majorities in both houses of the Legislature!" the group's email newsletter said.
Walker has yet to weigh in on the specific proposals.
The usual suspects of the republican members of the legislature are all vying to get in front of the line to be the one who brings these proposals to law!
"I support all those measures and would gladly be a lead or co-sponsor on any of them," said Rep. Joel Kleefisch (R-Oconomowoc). "Any measure to protect life is of the utmost highest priority."Of course no where, can you find that Joel Kleefisch campaigned on any of these issues. It is also ironic that he points out he would be a lead or co-sponsor, which translates into if someone will write the bill for him he will introduce it as his. Finally, I guess no one told Joel "Pro-life" Kleefisch, that E.Coli can be deadly!
Fellow crazy lawmaker Glenn Grothman, once again embarrasses the state of WI and his district, with such ridiculousness that his comments speak for themselves:
Sen. Glenn Grothman (R-West Bend) said he particularly wants to advance the ban on sex-selection abortions because Democrats have accused Republicans in recent years of conducting a "war on women." He said there was nothing more pro-woman than preventing abortions that are sought because of a child's sex.
"I think as we get more immigrants from other countries we have to be particularly attuned to the abortion industry conniving with people to reduce the number of women in our society," Grothman said.
Pasch called Grothman's comment ridiculous.
"I don't know how to respond to such nonsense," Pasch said. "This isn't the first time Sen. Glenn Grothman has proposed or sponsored legislation based on nonsense."
Finally the most telling paragraph, while there has a been an extreme right wing takeover of many states in the country, as we have seen with the bills that the WI republicans have forced through in the last two years, they like to take the most extreme bills in the country and turn it up to 11!
Wisconsin Right to Life has not spelled out its exact proposal, and the group's legislative director, Susan Armacost, did not return a call. But the brief description of the measure in its email newsletter indicated it would go further than any other state by requiring the woman seeking the abortion to view the ultrasound. In other states, women have the option of looking away.
Yes we have "small government conservatives" debating if a woman is forced to look at an ultrasound she does not want or if she has the ability to "look away".
Think about that!
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