On behalf of the Wisconsin Catholic Conference, the public policy voice of Wisconsin's Roman Catholic bishops, I urge you to support Assembly Bill 220. For us, the opposition to abortion is a cornerstone of a consistent life ethic, by which all people are obligated to make personal and public policy choices in favor of human life and dignity. We believe that the common good can not be achieved if the right to life is disregarded since it leads to the killing of the very people society exists to serve.
All abortions are immoral.
Our support for Assembly Bill 220 is based on the Church's recognition of the difficulty of defending life in a pluralistic democracy where strong cultural currents oppose life. Based on this teaching, the Wisconsin Catholic Conference recognizes that state lawmakers must exercise prudential judgment to determine at this place and time in history what is realistically attainable in crafting a law that bans or drastically limits partial birth abortions. Assembly Bill 220 is not perfect. Given the vast body of expert testimony showing that partial birth abortions are never necessary to save a mother's life, we are confident that any abortionist who made such a claim ultimately would be found in violation of the law. We take no position on the penalty provisions of this legislation.