Wisconsin Lawmaker Says He Knows ‘Fetal Development Better Than Probably Anyone’ Because ‘I Did Thousands of Ultrasounds on Animals’

Wisconsin Republican state Rep. Joel Kitchens tried to establish his human fetal development bona fides by noting that he has performed ultrasounds on animals.

The legislature is debating legislation that calls for a binding statewide referendum on whether to ban abortion after 14 weeks of pregnancy. After the U.S. Supreme Court struck down Roe v. Wade in 2022, anti-abortion opponents claimed an 1849 state law banning the procedure should take immediate effect. After 15 months of legal limbo, abortions resumed in the state in September 2023.

Speaking in the House chamber on Thursday, Kitchens, who is a veterinarian, said his experience in the field makes him an expert on human fetal development:

The question is whether abortion is healthcare. And if you believe that a fetus is a human life, then abortion is not healthcare. You know, in my veterinary career, I did thousands of ultrasounds on animals, you know, during pregnancy and that kind of thing. So, I think I know mammalian fetal development better than probably anyone here.

“He added, “And in my in my mind, there’s absolutely no question. That’s life. And I think the science backs me up on that. But this is really a moral question. And I recognize that not everybody’s in here is gonna– that’s in here is gonna agree with me. And if I had the oratorical skills of Lincoln, I still wouldn’t change a single mind over there.”

Wisconsin Governor Tony Evers has vowed to veto the bill if the Republican-controlled legislature passes it.