News, Culture and NPR for Central & Northern Michigan
Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations

Right to Life takes next step toward vote on new abortion restriction

The anti-abortion group Right to Life of Michigan says it’s stopped gathering signatures, and will soon be ready to submit petitions to enact a law to ban a medical procedure.
 

Right to Life of Michigan wants the Republican-led Legislature to adopt an initiative that would outlaw the abortion procedure medically known as “dilation and evacuation.”
 

Genevieve Marnon with Right to Life says her group expects to put the question to lawmakers before the end of the year.

“Needless to say, we are hopeful they will pass it with a simple majority in each chamber and it will become law.”

Similar bills were stopped by Governor Gretchen Whitmer’s threat to veto them. Petition-initiated legislation cannot be vetoed by the governor.
 

Abortion rights supporters say they’re ready to fight the issue, and similar efforts in other states to ban abortion procedures have been blocked by courts as unconstitutional.