Michels changes mind, says he’d allow abortion ban with exceptions for rape and incest

Republican gubernatorial candidate Tim Michels, who during the primary campaign briefly supported banning emergency contraception, said in a radio interview Friday that if elected he’d sign a law changing the state’s ban against abortions to include exceptions for instances of rape and incest. 

Appearing on the show of conservative radio host Dan O’Donnell, Michels said he’d sign legislation adding the exceptions to the abortion ban — which has been on the state’s books since 1849 and currently only includes an exception to protect the life of the mother. Michels had previously said he supported the 1849 law as written and as recently as this month said he would not change his views. In his 2004 campaign for U.S. Senate, he said it was “not unreasonable” to make a rape victim give birth. 

“Yes, I would sign that bill,” Michels told O’Donnell. “And let me say a couple of things about that. I am pro-life and make no apologies for that. But I also understand that this is a representative democracy. And if the people — in this case, the Legislature — brought a bill before me, as you just stated, I would sign that.”

Michels, a wealthy business owner whose family owns the Michels Corporation, a construction company, is involved with two family foundations that have donated money to anti-abortion lobbying and advocacy groups — including an organization that advocates for making the state’s abortion ban even more stringent by getting rid of all exceptions. 

The state’s abortion ban has become a major issue in this fall’s election. This summer, Democratic incumbents Gov. Tony Evers and Attorney General Josh Kaul filed a lawsuit to challenge the enforceability of the law and Republicans in the Legislature have rebuffed Evers’ calls for special sessions to make changes. 

After the radio appearance, Democrats accused Michels of attempting to hide his “radical” position on abortion. 

“Wisconsin voters are smart enough to see through Tim Michels’ dishonest attempt to hide his radical views on abortion, including his clear support for a ban that contains no exception for rape or incest,” Evers campaign spokesperson Kayla Anderson said in a statement. “Tim Michels has told us what he believes time and again, even promising earlier this month that he would not soften his dangerous views on abortion. We know he was telling us the truth over the past two decades as he consistently opposed these exceptions and said it was ‘not unreasonable’ to force a pregnant rape victim to give birth. Last minute lies to save a flailing campaign aren’t going to fool Wisconsinites.”

Democratic Lt. Governor candidate Sara Rodriguez said that Michels is lying about his long-held views. 

“Let’s call Tim Michels’ comments today what they are: lies. Michels’ campaign is already scrambling to walk back his comments, because they know he can’t run from twenty years of unyielding, radical views on women’s health,” Rodriguez, a state representative and registered nurse, said. “Wisconsin women know that if he were governor, Michels would attack women’s healthcare and put into action these radical beliefs.”