Wisconsin Right to Life
| Wisconsin Right to Life | |
 | |
| Basic facts | |
| Location: | Milwaukee, Wis. |
| Type: | 501(c)(4) |
| Top official: | Heather Weininger, Executive Director |
| Website: | Official website |
| Connections | |
| National Right to Life | |
Wisconsin Right to Life (WRTL) is a 501(c)(4) nonprofit organization and the Wisconsin state affiliate of National Right to Life. As of December 2025, their stated mission was: "o make euthanasia, infanticide, abortion and destruction of human embryos socially, ethically and legally unacceptable solutions to human problems and to promote positive alternatives to each of these acts."[1]
Background
WRTL was founded in 1968. Its first executive director was Fr. Donald Weber.[2]
Leadership
As of December 2025, the executive director of WRTL was Heather Weininger.[2]
Work and activities
Pain-Capable Unborn Child Protection Act (2015)
WRTL supported the Pain-Capable Unborn Child Protection Act, signed into law by Gov. Scott Walker (R) on July 20, 2015. The law banned abortions after 20 weeks from fertilization except when the life of the mother is in immediate danger.[3]
In the first half of 2015, WRTL spent $19,124.76 lobbying the Wisconsin State Legislature, according to the Wisconsin Government Accountability Board.[4]
Notable endorsements
This section displays endorsements this organization made in elections within Ballotpedia's coverage scope.
Finances
The following is a breakdown of the Wisconsin Right to Life's revenues and expenses from 2011 to 2024. The information comes from ProPublica
| Year | Revenue | Expenses |
|---|---|---|
| 2011 | $709,513 | $753,260 |
| 2012 | $581,323 | $441,713 |
| 2013 | $399,377 | $476,796 |
| 2014 | $357,023 | $353,036 |
| 2015 | $217,941 | $248,168 |
| 2016 | $248,240 | $362,500 |
| 2017 | $297,230 | $203,104 |
| 2018 | $334,588 | $362,575 |
| 2019 | $335,907 | $274,277 |
| 2020 | $283,849 | $330,432 |
| 2021 | $264,176 | $244,088 |
| 2022 | $266,928 | $303,227 |
| 2023 | $232,186 | $291,698 |
| 2024 | $247,836 | $231,979 |
Noteworthy events
Federal Election Commission v. Wisconsin Right to Life
Wisconsin Right to Life was involved in a lawsuit against the Federal Election Commission that was decided by the U.S. Supreme Court in 2007. In Federal Election Commission v. Wisconsin Right to Life, WRTL challenged a provision of the 2002 Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act (BCRA) that prohibited corporations, including nonprofits, from funding political advertisements 60 days in advance of a general election. In 2004, WRTL ran advertisements "encouraging viewers to contact two U.S. Senators and tell them to oppose filibusters of judicial nominees." The organization intended to continue running these through the 2004 election, but the FEC believed that the ads were covered under BCRA and that airing them 60 days or less before the election would be illegal.[5]
WRTL sued the FEC, contending that BCRA was unconstitutional as applied to its advertisements. The organization argued that the FEC could not regulate its ads because they did not advocate for the election or defeat of the candidates mentioned and instead constituted issue advocacy. The U.S. Supreme Court ultimately decided 5-4 in favor of WRTL, ruling that genuine issue ads like WRTL's were constitutionally protected speech and not the domain of the FEC, which is responsible for regulating express advocacy.[5]
See also
External links
- Wisconsin Right to Life official website
- Wisconsin Right to Life on Facebook
- Wisconsin Right to Life on X
- Wisconsin Right to Life on Instagram
- Wisconsin Right to Life on LinkedIn
- Wisconsin Right to Life on YouTube
Footnotes
- ↑ Wisconsin Right to Life, "About Us," accessed December 17, 2025
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 Wisconsin Right to Life, "History," accessed December 17, 2025
- ↑ Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, "Scott Walker signs 20-week abortion ban, trooper pay raise," July 20, 2015
- ↑ Wisconsin Government Accountability Board, "Lobbying Principals: Wisconsin Right to Life," accessed August 6, 2015
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 Oyez Project at Chicago-Kent College of Law, "Federal Election Commission v. Wisconsin Right to Life," accessed August 10, 2015
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