Walker secretly declares Jan. 22 Anti-Choice Day, in a backalley where no one can see him

That's right.  It seems that Scott Walker has declared Jan. 22 Anti-Choice Day (behind the backs of the people of Wisconsin, in a backalley where no one can see him)

According to Right to Life Wisconsin, on Jan. 7, 2013 (inaugural day of the legislative term here in Wisconsin), Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker signed a proclamation declaring Tuesday, Jan. 22, 2013 (the anniversary of Roe v. Wade) "Protect Life Day:" 


The proclamation, which caught the attention of the indefatigable Rebecca Kemble when it showed up on the Wheeler Report on Friday, Jan. 17 in a Wisconsin Right to Life press release, seems to have first appeared here, on the conservative Catholic website of Doug Lawrence where it was posted by a "Robert K."  There is no mention of it that I can find, anywhere, between these dates.

The proclamation itself is an outrage: it opens with the bold-faced lie that Roe v. Wade made abortions "legal for any reason during the full nine months of pregnancy" and continues on to cite some spurious and uncited statistics about the numbers of "unborn children lost to Wisconsin families."

The entire proclamation is basically a statement indicating that neither the law of the land nor the rights, health and safety of Wisconsin women  are of any significance or concern to the governor.

You'd think official proclamations would make the"news." I don't see it. Do you?
This, of course, is offensive enough. But what is really disturbing is the fact that - if this is for real (and it's almost hard to believe it is) - Scott Walker seems to have tried to push this through as secretly as possible, presumably in the hopes of avoiding massive protests on the 22nd.  No where does such a January 7th proclamation show up on his website, in his news releases, in his list of official proclamations, or in the Wheeler Report archive. The Executive Orders page doesn't show anything more recent than 1/4/13. And his office, strategically, is not open to address the issue.

Is it possible the governor only released a proclamation - issued for and on behalf of the entire citizenry of the state - to special interests groups?  If so, is that even legal?

Does our governor truly have so little respect for his constituents and the dignity of his office that he would  allow a special interest group to make his proclamation public on the Friday of a holiday weekend, knowing no one from his or any other office could respond before the actual day of the proclamation - Tuesday, Jan. 22, 2013?  

Was this really orchestrated to prevent the backlash and counterprotest that will surely erupt when the state and the nation discovers that this brazenly anti-choice proclamation has been issued in our name?

On the anniversary of a ruling which cemented the rights of women to take ownership of their reproductive health, our governor has issued a proclamation declaring his total disregard for our rights.  And he has, apparently, done so as he does all things: in the most weaselly way he can.

Many thanks to Rebecca Kemble for bringing this to our attention.  I hope it gets the attention of people who care about upholding the laws that protect our rights everywhere.

Update: Click here for more details in Rebecca Kemble's report. 

Update 2 1/22/13 9:25 am: The Governor's office just confirmed to me that he DID sign this proclamation and that it should have been make public on the Executive Orders page of his website. It is not there. The most recent posting is from 1/4. This proclamation was willfully withheld from the public and issued only to special interest groups, presumably to avoid controversy.

Call Scott Walker's office today at (608) 266-1212 to let him know what you think of his brazen declaration against women's rights to reproductive choice by declaring today, the anniversary of Roe v. Wade to be "Protect Life Day."
 

According to the Governor's office, the proclamation was signed on Jan. 7, 2013 and should have been part of the public record here.  You can see that the most recent post is 1/4/2013.  Why was this proclamation withheld from the public? How did the special interest groups know about it?  Wisconsin citizens have been duped.
 

17 comments:

  1. i still dont understand why any man or anyone can decide what a woman cn and cant do with her own body

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Why? they would think that an adult woman cannot make a decision without them is really egotistical on their part! I did not invite a strange man, who is not a doctor, into my vagina, let alone allow him to tell me what I can do with it! He must go away!

      Delete
  2. If it looks, acts and hides like a weasel...it must be a weasel. I thought Wisconsin was the Badger state. Scott Walker should be living like a hillbilly in the deep south where his type belongs.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Just a hint, the badger is actually a member of the weasel family, just like skunks. So be careful saying that line.

      Delete
    2. Also, speaking from and for the "deep south", i don't want his misogynist dip-shitery anywhere near the women i love. or anyone at all, really. his type do not belong here. they do not belong in this century.

      Delete
    3. How do Hillbillies live and what does it have to do with this ass? If I needed a hand I would ask a Hillbilly before a weasel.

      Delete
  3. A cowardly, shameful act by a person who has no scruples and may quite possibly be a psychopath who will be complicit in the back alley real-life deaths of more than one woman as a result of his secretive manipulations...

    ReplyDelete
  4. Hey! We have enough douchebag teabagger politicians down here, please don't send this ahole south.

    ReplyDelete
  5. How did he already issue a proclamation tomorrow? Today is the 21st. I think someone's pulling your leg.

    ReplyDelete
  6. I sent the story to Amanda Terkel. She has a soft spot for us here so maybe she'll mention it. She's also on top of his hopes for re-election or higher office.

    ReplyDelete
  7. Fine. Let's bring the kid into the world. Put it on Walker's doorstep and let HIM raise it! On second thought... fudge that.

    ReplyDelete
  8. Well ppl wanted him office. And got it. I think its the change ppl r complaining about. Got somebody in office that knows what to do. The last person I can remember that did something for wi. Was Tommy its a shame he didn't get in. I'm not saying that there all perfect. That's what I like about USA can say an oppinon. Now just need to cut welfare. Or put them out there to clean up the Rds.and need to chk out the ones on disability.

    ReplyDelete
  9. Um there is no such thing as welfare. There hasn't been for a long time. Its called W-2, It requires as much work as a full time job. It is very difficult to get, and at the most, no matter how many kids you have, you get $608 dollars a month. and you can only get it for 24 months in a lifetime.

    ReplyDelete
  10. I find it particularly offensive that he refers to Roe V. Wade as "infamous". The gov has consistently placed himself as being in a better position to judge the law than the courts as evidenced by countless examples. This is another.
    http://www.uppitywis.org/blogarticle/be-bewwy-bewwy-quiet

    ReplyDelete
  11. Outraged. Just Outraged! Thank you for your excellent coverage of this situation.

    Although it's been 40 years since the Roe v. Wade ruling, it's importance has never faded.

    Read Wisconsin Gazette's coverage of our "nation's most contentious social issue"

    HERE: http://www.wisconsingazette.com/wisconsin-gaze/fetal-attractionbreakforty-years-after-roe-v-wade-abortion-is-still-nations-most-contentious-social-issue.html

    ReplyDelete