Whitmer signs legislation repealing Michigan's 1931 abortion ban
(CBS DETROIT) - Gov. Gretchen Whitmer signed legislation that repeals the state's 1931 law banning abortion without exceptions for rape or incest.
Whitmer and Lt. Gov. Garlin Gilchrist were joined by bill sponsors and representatives from Planned Parenthood, NARAL, EMILY's LIST and the Committee to Protect at the signing today, Wednesday, April 5.
The 1973 Roe v. Wade ruling voided this 1931 Michigan law for 50 years, but the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade on June 24, 2022.
This decision gave the state of Michigan the opportunity to reinstate the 1931 law. But in November's midterm elections, Michiganders voted in support of Prop 3, an amendment to the state's constitution that protects abortion rights.
"In November, Michiganders sent a clear message: we deserve to make our own decisions about own bodies," said Whitmer. "Today, we are coming together to repeal the extreme 1931 law banning abortion without exceptions for rape or incest and criminalizing nurses and doctors for doing their jobs. Standing up for people's fundamental freedoms is the right thing to do and it's also just good economics. By getting this done, we will help attract talent and business investment too. I will continue to use every tool in my toolbox to support, protect, and affirm reproductive freedom for every Michigander, and I'll work with anyone to make Michigan a welcoming beacon of opportunity where anyone can envision a future."
House Bill 4006 repeals the Michigan law that makes it a felony to administer an abortion to a pregnant woman unless it is necessary to protect the mother's life and the law that makes it a misdemeanor to advertise for or sell any drugs that have the purpose of an abortion.
"Today marks a culmination of a years-long attempt since 2018 when I introduced the first bill in the Michigan legislature aimed at repealing the anti-abortion, anti-contraception, anti-reproductive health laws from 1931. Today, we strike down these laws that served to stymie the freedom of people to have the bodily autonomy to manage their own sexual and reproductive health once and for all," said Sen. Erika Geiss (D-Taylor), sponsor of SB 2. "Last June, we learned that Roe was not protected. Today, in Michigan however, reproductive freedom, access to abortion, and the bodily autonomy to control one's reproductive health are," she continued.
