COUNTY BOARD TO CONSIDER RESOLUTION IN SUPPORT OF ACCESS TO ABORTION CARE

May 19, 2022
County Board Supervisor Cecely Castillo, (608) 616-0312
County Board

At the County Board meeting tonight, Dane County Supervisors will consider a resolution in support of abortion care.

The resolution, sponsored by County Board Supervisor Cecely Castillo (District 7), and drafted with assistance from Youth Governance Program (YGP) participant Miranda Garcia-Dove and student at Madison West High School, indicates support to repeal Wisconsin State Statute 940.04 which bans abortion at any stage of pregnancy without exception for rape, incest, or the health of the patient. It also supports codifying the protections of Roe V. Wade and Planned Parenthood v. Casey in Wisconsin and Federal law.

"Wisconsin is about to become a felony abortion ban state with no exceptions for rape, incest, or the health of the pregnant person. The leaked SCOTUS draft opinion alerts us to how close we are to losing bodily autonomy. This resolution makes it clear that the Dane County Board supports people’s right to make decisions regarding their own bodies. We call on elected officials on the state and federal level to act immediately to prevent Wisconsin from becoming the next abortion ban state," said Supervisor Castillo.

The resolution notes that should Roe v. Wade be overturned, communities of color, low-income communities, people who are disabled, immigrants, young people, and members of the LGBTQ+ community will be among the most disproportionately affected populations.

In response to the resolution, YGP member Garcia-Dove said "people of reproductive age should be able to make choices about their bodies and what is best for them. Abortion care should be made accessible to all who desire it because abortion is healthcare. Reproductive freedom is key to people's ability to pursue an education, a career, a dream. Being a parent should always be a choice."

"I am so proud to have had the opportunity to work on this resolution with Youth Governance member, Miranda Garcia-Dove. Her hard work on this important resolution shines through and should give us all hope for the change this next generation of advocates will bring."

The Youth Governance Program allows youth to serve on a county committee while developing life skills and youth-adult partnerships. YGP began in 2012, and since its inception more than 100 Dane County students have participated in the program, which is facilitated by the UW-Madison Extension Dane County office.

Students are paired with a County Board member and serve on either a committee of the County Board or on a board or commission, such as the Food Council or the Park Commission. Youth members have a non-binding advisory vote but are given the same opportunities for committee participation and involvement as elected County Supervisors. Information to apply for the program can be found here: https://fyi.extension.wisc.edu/youthgovernanceprogram/about-ygp/

The County Board meeting begins at 7:00pm, information to attend and register to speak can be found on the agenda: https://dane.legistar.com/View.ashx?M=A&ID=903599&GUID=CEF2A1EF-16EF-4E3C-B04F-86C9C62930D9