MADISON, Wis. – An 1849 anti-abortion law remains on the books in Wisconsin. Governor Tony Evers had attempted to get rid of the 173-year-old law by ordering a special session of the Legislature with a one-item agenda. But when legislators convened, there was no debate. Not even a vote. Republican leaders gaveled the session to order and immediately gaveled adjournment. This took 14 seconds, according to one legislator with a second hand on his watch.

Setback for choice

Evers had called the special session, saying that “there’s no time to sit around and wait” for an imminent anti-abortion decision from the U.S. Supreme Court. The Court’s decision, it seemed, would reinstate Wisconsin’s1849 law. The law has been dormant since the Supreme Court opened the way for abortions in 1973 and now is at the brink of reversing itself.