October 23, 2024
SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (AP) — Abortion providers in some places where the procedure could be banned if the U.S. Supreme Court overturns Roe v. Wade are preparing for a ruling by halting scheduling for the procedure.
Planned Parenthood of Wisconsin, which operates three clinics that provide abortions in the state, is not scheduling the procedure beyond June 25 as it anticipates a late June decision by the court. The organization in recent weeks has dedicated two staff members to help patients book appointments and figure out how to get to clinics.
Whether clinics in Wisconsin will be able to provide abortions, though, has turned into a day-to-day question.
In Wisconsin, a law banning abortion has been on the books since 1849, but Roe v. Wade overrode it. While Roe's fall would likely spark a legal tussle over whether it is valid, Planned Parenthood does not want to put its staff at risk of prosecution.
Clinics shuttering, like one did in Idaho recently, or halting scheduling show that a post-Roe reality has already arrived in many places.
