LANSING, Mich. (Michigan News Source) – The Michigan house is expected to vote on legislation repealing a law that prohibits late-term abortion, included in a package of bills that passed despite bipartisan opposition more than a month ago. 

Representative Karen Whitsett (D-Detroit), the Majority Vice Chair on the Health Policy Committee, opposed several of the bills in the package, previously sharing that a vote on Medicaid abortions was “not gonna happen.” 

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She also spoke about the state’s 24-hour waiting period, “I do not think it is too much to ask when someone’s terminating a life, a 24-hour pause to be able to say for sure this is the decision you want to make. 24 hours is not too much.”

On Halloween, Governor Gretchen Whitmer used her X (formerly known as Twitter) account to share holiday themed political messages. 

“Earlier this year we came together to solve a very scary problem—slaying the state’s abortion ban, a ‘zombie’ law that had been on the books since 1931,” she said on the social media platform later adding, “Unfortunately, other frightening laws surrounding abortion still remain. TRAP laws target healthcare providers with unnecessary, politically motivated regulations that do nothing to protect patients. It’s time for them to bite the dust.”

 

 

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Representative Josh Schriver (R-Oxford) called the bills “downright evil” when they passed through the Health Committee. 

“If the governor signs this into law, it would be legal for fully developed, viable children in the third stage of pregnancy to be aborted right up until birth,” Rep. Schriver indicated.  “Furthermore, doctors will be allowed to perform late-term abortion procedures with zero repercussions. It’s clear these bills are too extreme even for her own party as even Democrats have begun voting against the package. The fact is these bills aren’t ready, they’re dangerous and they’re wrong. I’m glad to see my colleagues are finding their consciences. ” 

Shortly before the decision came to the house floor the first time, Governor Gretchen Whitmer signaled her preference for the voting outcome in a press release, urging “the legislature to pass it.” 

“Today, we took an important step forward on the Reproductive Health Act, common sense legislation to repeal politically motivated, medically unnecessary restrictions on abortion that criminalize doctors providing medical care, jack up out of pocket health care costs, and impose needless regulations on health centers,” Gov. Whitmer said in a statement. 

On Nov. 7, Ohioans will consider a proposal very similar to Michigan’s Prop 3 which passed in fall 2022. Those wanting to become like Michigan will likely vote yes on Issue 1, while the opposition will vote no.