LANSING, Mich., Sept. 1, 2021 — Michigan House Democrats are speaking out on the new extreme abortion ban that took effect in Texas today. This ban makes it illegal for someone to get an abortion if they are more than six weeks pregnant, which effectively eliminates the option to end a pregnancy for many people.
“Abortion is a complex decision for all individuals involved — a decision that won’t be made any easier by politicians who don’t know anything about the circumstances inserting themselves in a deeply personal matter,” said state Rep. Laurie Pohutsky (D-Livonia), chair of the Progressive Women’s Caucus. “It is absolutely not my place nor the place of any other government official to prevent a person from ending a pregnancy. Politicians need to stay out of this very personal and private decision and allow a person to make the choice that is right for them.”
“History has shown that women are going to choose to end pregnancies, regardless of current law or public opinion,” said state Rep. Kyra Bolden (D-Southfield). “The question is, are we going to provide safe abortions or force people into dangerous, unsanitary, unregulated, underground operations? This abortion ban would also create a proverbial witch hunt by offering $10,000 bounties to private citizens, even if they live in another state, if they turn in someone for administering or helping someone obtain an abortion after six weeks.”
“We need to call this what it is. It isn’t just limiting options for ending a pregnancy. This is, in effect, a complete abortion ban,” said House Democratic Leader Donna Lasinski (D-Scio Township). “Even if someone discovers they are pregnant by six weeks, they will have an extraordinarily narrow window of time to rush an extremely important decision before jumping through other hoops, like receiving state-mandated ‘counseling’ prior to receiving an abortion. It will be nearly impossible for anyone to complete the steps necessary to receive an abortion before they’re six weeks pregnant, which is the intent of the bill.”
It is still possible for the U.S. Supreme Court to issue an injunction to overturn the abortion ban.
###