With the recent Supreme Court decision to overturn its 1973 Roe v Wade decision, every state in the nation is free to decide on its own, the legality of abortion, and what restrictions if any to place on abortion. As of now, Michigan defaults to a law passed in 1931 which banned abortion, except in cases where the life of the mother was in jeopardy. In mid-August however, a state judge granted an injunction, effectively putting that law on hold at least through November’s election. So, as of today abortion is legal in Michigan until state courts rule on a number of lawsuits and/or MI voters decide at the ballot box this November.
This is a defining moment for our state, lives hang in the balance! Now more than ever it is important to be an informed voter.
What abortion legislation is on the ballot in November?
“Constitutional Amendment to: establish new individual right to reproductive freedom, including right to make and carry out all decisions about pregnancy, such as prenatal care, childbirth, postpartum care, contraception, sterilization, abortion, miscarriage management, and infertility; allow state to prohibit abortion after fetal viability unless needed to protect a patient's life or physical or mental health; forbid state discrimination in enforcement of this right; prohibit prosecution of an individual, or a person helping a pregnant individual, for exercising rights established by this amendment; and invalidate all state laws that conflict with this amendment.”
What is wrong with this proposal?
So, why would anyone be opposed to “reproductive freedom for all”, after all that sounds so benign. Here are some key things that we all need to consider when we vote on this proposal in November:
Amends the constitution
This legislation would amend the constitution, not just enact a new law, thereby making it very difficult to make changes or clarifications in the future.Vague and Poorly Written
According to the Pro-Life coalition, Citizens To Support MI Women and Children, “this proposed amendment is written so broadly and so poorly worded that it would harm every state law on abortion and everything else related to pregnancy, the only limit is consent, which is not limited to adults by the amendment.”Strikes Down Existing Laws
All current laws which place limitations on abortion will be removed by the amendment allowing:
Taxpayer-funded abortions.
Legalizing Partial Birth Abortion (the heinous procedure whereby a baby is delivered feet-first, and an abortionist punctures the baby’s skull to kill him/her).
Allowing any “health care professional” (not just doctors) to perform abortions.
All health insurers will need to offer abortion as a “service”.
Women may be coerced into an abortion without proper screening
Age of Consent Not Defined
The age of consent is not defined in this proposal. That means all of its provisions apply to minors as well as adults, allowing minors to obtain abortions or even sterilization without parental consent.Late-term abortions allowed
The proposal states: “no abortions after fetal viability unless needed to protect a patient’s life, physical or mental health”.This is purposely vaguely worded. In reality, the physical and mental health exceptions open the door to abortions up to the time of birth.Other issues
Because of the vague writing of the proposal, there is a good chance that the state’s ban on cloning would be lifted, as well as the ban on buying and selling babies through commercial surrogacy.
The bottom line is this is more than dangerous legislation, it is radically pro-death. It is imperative that we get involved and spread the word to defeat this proposal. Your donation will help Right to Life of Michigan fund advertising and other educational resources to ensure the electorate is informed before they vote on this proposal. In addition, RLM will use these donations to help defeat the most pro-death administration in Michigan's history.
Please note: These Donations are Not Tax-Deducticble
