The FFRF Action Fund is proud to announce its collaboration with Planned Parenthood Advocates of Wisconsin for the pivotal Wisconsin Supreme Court election on April 1.
FFRF Action Fund is contributing $10,000 to advocate for the election of Judge Susan Crawford and the defeat of former Wisconsin Attorney General Brad Schimel, emphasizing the critical importance of abortion rights, bodily autonomy and the separation of state and church. Freedom From Religion Foundation, FFRF Action Fund’s educational parent organization, is additionally contributing $10,000 to Planned Parenthood of Wisconsin’s c(3) arm for youth voter education campaigns.
The upcoming election will determine the balance of the Wisconsin Supreme Court, with significant implications for reproductive rights and secular governance. Crawford, recognized for her commitment to upholding individual liberties, has a distinguished record of defending reproductive rights and maintaining the constitutional separation between religion and government. In contrast, Schimel has consistently opposed abortion access and has shown a tendency to blur the lines between church and state during his tenure as attorney general. He also hired five white Christian pastors to serve as Department of Justice “chaplains,” a move that the Freedom From Religion Foundation defeated with litigation.
“Abortion rights and bodily autonomy are not only fundamental freedoms but also vital to ensuring true separation between religion and government,” says Annie Laurie Gaylor, president of the FFRF Action Fund. “Theocratic attempts to control reproductive health care violate both personal liberty and constitutional principles.”
Tanya Atkinson, president of Planned Parenthood Advocates of Wisconsin, says, “Planned Parenthood Advocates of Wisconsin knows the overwhelming majority of Wisconsinites believe they should be able to make their own deeply personal health care decisions, and that abortion should be legal and accessible. The people of Wisconsin want, need, and deserve a Supreme Court justice who will protect our freedoms, not use their position of power to take them away, and we are excited to be partnering with FFRF Action Fund in sharing this message with voters.”
The joint initiative will focus on:
- Engaging youth voters: developing targeted campaigns to inform and motivate young voters about the Supreme Court race’s stakes, particularly regarding reproductive rights and secular governance.
- Empowering community organizers: providing resources and training to organizers in communities beyond traditional liberal strongholds to facilitate voter engagement and education efforts.
- Advocacy and outreach: highlighting the contrasting positions of the candidates on abortion rights and the separation of church and state to inform voters and encourage participation in the electoral process.
The FFRF Action Fund champions reproductive rights as integral to a secular society in which dogma does not dictate laws. Governmental restrictions on abortion invariably stem from the imposition of certain religious doctrines, infringing upon individual freedoms and imposing specific religious beliefs on the broader populace. By advocating for policies upholding bodily autonomy, the FFRF Action Fund seeks to protect personal liberties and the foundational principle of secular governance.
This partnership underscores the shared commitment of both organizations to safeguard reproductive rights and uphold the constitutional principle separating religion from government.
The FFRF Action Fund is a 501(c)(4) organization that develops and advocates for legislation, regulations and government programs to preserve the constitutional principle of separation between state and church. It also advocates for the rights and views of nonbelievers, endorses candidates for political office, and publicizes the views of elected officials concerning religious liberty issues. Learn more at ffrfaction.org.
The Freedom From Religion Foundation is a national 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization with more than 40,000 members and several chapters across the country. Its purposes are to protect the constitutional principle of separation between state and church, and to educate the public on matters relating to nontheism.
Planned Parenthood Advocates of Wisconsin (PPAWI) is the advocacy arm of Planned Parenthood of Wisconsin. PPAWI engages in legislative and educational activity and works to elect candidates to office that support these goals.