A controversial bill that would have banned the use and sale of aborted fetal tissue failed to make it through the Assembly this session, but one expert said he expects similar bills to be proposed in the future.
University of Wisconsin political science professor Barry Burden said the Legislature did not take up the bill likely because of overwhelming opposition from businesses and research organizations that were worried it would push jobs out of the state and shut down essential research.
According to Wisconsin State Journal, hundreds of UW researchers and staff signed a letter written by three UW scientists that opposed the bill, saying it would prevent vital research that could cure or treat a variety of diseases, including ALS, Parkinson’s disease, spinal cord injuries and miscarriages.
Fetal tissue bill faces strong opposition from UW researchers, Wisconsin companies
Another contributing factor to why it didn’t pass was the large number of bills being pushed through the Legislature at the end of this session, Burden said.
The Assembly scheduled almost 200 bills to be taken up for a vote during the week of Feb. 14, with sessions lasting late into the night and into the next day. Burden said the Assembly probably chose to prioritize less controversial bills.
Chelsea Shields, Wisconsin Right to Life spokesperson, was disappointed the bill stalled because she said using fetal tissue for research is unethical. She said research should not depend on abortions.
“We’re disappointed that it wasn’t able to move forward, and the biggest lesson for us is that we have to educate people that abortion-derived fetal tissue is being used in Wisconsin,” Shields said.
In the future, Shields said she hopes the Legislature will pass a bill preventing the use of abortion-derived fetal tissue.
There was talk among legislators of modifying the bill to make it more acceptable to the business and research community, Burden said, but those revisions were never made.
Whether a compromise or a controversy, Burden said he expects legislation banning fetal tissue to come up in the future.
“There will definitely be bills like this introduced down the road, maybe in the next session or next year,” Burden said. “I don’t know what prospects they’ll have.”
Vidushi Saxena contributed reporting to this article.
