Last night, news broke that a draft opinion from the U.S. Supreme Court spells out the argument for overturning Roe v. Wade. The reports are yet another indication that the Court is poised to dismantle longstanding precedent and strip reproductive rights from millions of Michigan women and families.
If the Supreme Court fully overturns Roe v. Wade, Michigan will immediately revert back to a draconian and previously dormant law from 1931 that criminalizes abortion, makes felons out of reproductive health care providers, and provides no exceptions for rape or incest. Anti-choice advocates have touted the near-total abortion as the most restrictive in the country.
That extreme anti-choice stance is shared by all 10 gubernatorial Republicans. They have staked their campaigns on their dangerous and desperate crusade against Michigan women and families:
- During his campaign kickoff event, Perry Johnson “declined to rule out banning abortions for survivors of sexual assault” when asked where he stands on protecting reproductive rights in Michigan. He then doubled-down on his anti-choice extremism, even in cases of rape or incest, saying, “Two wrongs don’t make a right. I am pro-life.”
- Garrett Soldano stated that women who are raped should not be able to have abortions because “God put them in this moment” and it would make them “heroic.” He’s referred to himself as “unapologetically pro-life” and suggested that fake crisis pregnancy centers that use manipulative tactics to push an anti-choice agenda should receive taxpayer funding.
- James Craig – who backed up Soldano’s callous statement – has already said he would employ whatever means necessary to ensure Michigan immediately reverts to a severely restrictive, near-total abortion ban from 1931 that makes no exceptions for rape or incest, criminalizes abortion, and makes reproductive health care providers felons should Roe v. Wade get struck down.
- Also a staunch supporter of the 1931 ban that remains on the books in Michigan, Tudor Dixon has plainly stated that she would was against all exceptions to abortion, even when the health of the mother was at risk.
- Kevin Rinke also made a dangerous commitment to enforce Michigan’s extreme 1931 ban on abortion, saying that “as governor, I’m going to enforce that law of the land” and doubled down last night saying that he believed the Supreme Court “acted properly.”
Meanwhile, statewide leaders across the country, including Governor Whitmer, have put in the work to be the last line of defense against drastic and dangerous abortion bans that would impact millions of women.
Last month, she took the historic step to file a lawsuit seeking for the Michigan Supreme Court to “rule that a 1931 law criminalizing abortion violates the state constitution.” Should the suit be successful, reproductive health care won’t be deemed a felony within the state regardless of the U.S. Supreme Court’s new ruling on Roe v. Wade.
MDP Chair Lavora Barnes issued the following statement:
“The reproductive freedom of Michigan women hangs in the balance more than ever before. No state in the union will feel the brunt of this upcoming ruling quite like Michigan – where a dangerous and draconian near-total ban from 1931 is most likely days from being fully back on the books. This immediate and massive impact on the reproductive freedom of millions of women and families has already been underscored by the callous glee with which every single gubernatorial Republican has looked forward to this disastrous outcome and pushed an extreme anti-choice agenda that makes no exception for rape, incest, or the health of the mother.”
