Scott Walker signs restrictive abortion bill in Wisconsin

Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker (R) on Friday signed into law a bill restricting abortion in the state.

The law requires that women receive ultrasounds before they’re allowed to have abortions, with technicians required to point out  fetuses’ visible features. It also bans doctors who don’t have admitting privileges at nearby hospitals from performing the procedures.

Walker is a highly controversial figure in his home state and nationally
after pushing through laws stripping unions of their power. He is said
to be seriously looking at a run for president. His support of the law
is likely to give him a big lift with social conservatives and could
help him in a presidential primary, though it’s unclear whether the
stand would help or hurt him in a general election.

The law could severely limit the number of abortions in the state. Two of Wisconsin’s abortion clinics will be forced to close while a third will have to cut its services in half, according to the clinics’ heads. Abortion rights advocates have already announced plans to fight the law in court.

Wisconsin is the latest state to push for a more restrictive abortion law — Alabama, Arkansas, Mississippi, North Dakota and Ohio have  passed similar legislation in recent months, as Republican-controlled states ramp up the pressure on abortion providers. Texas and North Carolina are considering similar measures. But Wisconsin, a perennial swing state, provided a more intense backdrop for the fight over abortion rights.