Since New York endorsed abortion-on-demand through all nine months of pregnancy, prolifers have been on the move. Many people who considered themselves prolife but didn’t commit themselves to regular efforts to end abortion have suddenly been awakened and activated.

Many of those people have seen prolife legislation in other states and wonder what Michigan will do. In Michigan, our focus will be a ban on dismemberment abortions (also called a D&E abortion).

Sadly, in Michigan, this prolife crescendo came at a bad time. Michigan went from having an indifferent governor in Rick Snyder to now having an actively pro-abortion governor in Gretchen Whitmer. The silver lining is Michigan voters returned prolife majorities to the Legislature.

Thankfully, Michigan’s Constitution has a provision that allows citizens to initiate legislation directly to the Legislature by collecting a large number of signatures. If the Michigan House and Senate approve the legislation, it becomes law without the governor.

Right to Life of Michigan and local affiliates have been very successful in the past using these petition drives, most recently in 2013. Such an effort requires a laser-like focus, and for the next two years our focus is on banning dismemberment abortion.

Several other states have advanced different prolife laws: bans on abortion after 20 weeks, heartbeat bans, bans on targeted abortions for reasons of sex-selection or disability, etc. Most of these laws require Roe v. Wade to be overturned to be effective.

Michigan is unique. Michigan currently has a law on the books banning abortion except to save the life of the mother. After Roe was decided in 1973, the Michigan Supreme Court ruled that our law remains in legal effect, but not fully enforceable. The day Roe v. Wade is overturned, our law has an opportunity to be restored to full effect. So, Michigan law already bans abortions after 20 weeks, or after a heartbeat is detected, or abortions targeted at specific demographics; we’ve got that covered.

A ban on dismemberment abortion is different. It’s the next prolife law likely to be upheld by the U.S. Supreme Court if they aren’t willing to fully overturn Roe v. Wade yet. Crucially, it allows us to educate people about abortion itself. A dismemberment abortion involves tearing the arms and legs off a child in the later stages of pregnancy.

Dismembering a human being goes against our Michigan values and it’s time for us to stop it.

Chris Gast
Director of Communication/Education