Coward! Scott Walker signed his shiny new anti-abortion laws today, on a holiday weekend. The bills were rammed through the legislature in 9 days from the time of introduction to passage - record speed for any proposed measure in order to keep public reaction to a minimum. And now he's signed it on a Friday on a holiday weekend to keep it out of the public eye.

He loves to tout his "courage" whenever he gives speeches as a Republican Rock Star, but he's just another snivelling coward with a massive security detail (which got even more massive after the February 2011 protests started) to protect him from his own shadow. Or karma. Or whatever boogeyman he suspects is out to get him.

This story is breaking while the diary is being written so I'm editing as fast as I can.

Planned Parenthood and Affiliated Medical Services were planning a lawsuit against the new anti-abortion laws rammed through the State Legislature. They were waiting for the bills to be signed into law and in a now breaking announcement, Scott Walker has signed those laws which go into effect immediately.

The groups have now announced their lawsuit.



The state's two abortion providers announced Friday they will sue the state in federal court now that Gov. Scott Walker has signed a bill requiring doctors at their facilities to have hospital admitting privileges. The law will cut the number of clinics offering abortions in Wisconsin from four to two, and one of the remaining clinics wil have to dramatically cut the number of abortions it provides, according to the operators of the clinics. "When women don't have access to safe, legal abortions, there are health consequences and women die," said Teri Huyck, president and chief executive officer of Planned Parenthood of Wisconsin. Walker said Friday that he has signed the bill.

Ultrasounds!:

All women seeking abortion will be required to have an ultrasound even if her doctor believes it's medically unnecessary or even potentially harmful. And she will not only have to view it since the law mandates that the screen be placed directly in front of her, but it must be fully described to her, too.



The law's critics call the ultrasound provision an unnecessary infringement on the doctor-patient relationship but do not plan to challenge it in court at this time. Supporters say the provision makes sure women seeking abortions have as much information as possible.

On top of that, providers of those ultrasounds need to have admitting priviledges to a hopital within 30 miles. Why? Because Republicans say so.

Providers Need Admitting Priviledges:

This isn't about womens health, it's about making sure clinics close or their services are reduced. Doctors providing abortion services will need to have admitting priviledges at a nearby hospital. And if the nearby hospital is run by a religious institution, no amount of good luck wishes is going to help with that. Additionally, most hopitals require that physicians with admitting priviledges admit a certain number of patients every year. Admissions following an abortion are a very rare event since the procedures used are safe.

Additionally, getting admitting priviledges is a process requiring months of review before being granted. With the new law taking affect as soon as it's signed, it would be impossible to satisfy the law even with a hospital that might be willing to afford admitting priviledges to an abortion provider.

Prohibit Abortion After the 19th Week



That would mean abortions in Wisconsin would not be available north of Madison and after the 19th week of pregnancy would not be available anywhere in the state, according to the suit. The clinics are asking the court to immediately block the law, contending it violates the constitution's due process guarantee, puts an undue burden on a woman's right to choose abortion and unconstitutionally treats doctors who perform abortions differently than doctors who perform other services.

Abortion services provided in the later stages of pregnancy are done when the health or life of the woman makes pregnancy termination medically necessary or when severe fetal abnormalities are discovered. However, these can no longer be provided in the state, a prohibition hidden from the public until these bills were signed into law.