Editorial: Michigan voters can show the country how to protect abortion rights
By Stephen Gruber
Published: Wednesday, Nov. 8, 2013 9:30 a.m. CDT
By Stephen Gruber
Published: Wednesday, Nov. 8, 2013 9:30 a.m. CDT(photo: AP)
There are so many things wrong with the new Michigan abortion law. But one of the biggest is this: The state is no longer trying to get around the U.S. Supreme Court ruling that legalized the use of the procedure and requires a “credible” woman to undergo an abortion.
That ruling, in the case of Whole Woman’s Health v. Hellerstedt, established that a woman may obtain an abortion if her life or health is in danger.
The court found it reasonable to require a woman to undergo a second-trimester abortion to save the life of the woman and her baby as well as the woman’s health.
The Michigan legislature went even farther — they required that any woman obtaining an abortion in the state must have a separate ultrasound performed by a doctor.
This is not a reasonable use of the ultrasound, and it should never have been required. Michigan’s new law was created to allow Michigan to be a leader in the fight to protect the unborn. Instead, it is a state that is in the process of losing the fight to protect the unborn.
The problem here is that politicians will always think of the next election as an important one. They do not have to make a decision this close to the election, and it is up to the Michigan voters to make a decision.
Michigan should be known and recognized for its pro-life laws. It should be known as a state that stands up for the unborn. In a year in which abortion is up for debate, it should be a state that protects the unborn.
Michigan voters can tell other voters how to make decisions in the future and protect women in their communities from the government taking away a woman’s ability to choose.
Michigan already is well known for pro-life laws. Michigan has strong laws against incest, pregnancy