The Wisconsin Supreme Court has struck down the state's 176-year-old abortion ban in a 4-3 decision. The 1849 law made it a felony for anyone other than the mother to end a pregnancy and had been in effect until the Roe versus Wade ruling in 1973.

Wisconsin's top state court ruled on Wednesday that an 1849 state law banning abortion in virtually all cases cannot be enforced, rejecting claims it had been revived after a landmark U.S. Supreme Court ruling three years ago returned the authority to regulate abortion to individual states.

Women in Wisconsin will continue to have access to abortion services under a new ruling from the state's highest court.