House Democrats Prepare for Legislature’s Last Stand to Repeal ’31 Abortion Ban

With zero confirmed voting days of session beyond Wednesday, today looks to be the last voting day in the House of Representatives, and ’31 abortion ban still stands.

 

LANSING, Mich., Sept. 28, 2022 — Today, House Democrats will continue their fight to bring an end to the state’s cruel and archaic 1931 abortion ban and intend to use every tool at their disposal to bring this urgent matter to the floor. As today is likely the last full session day before the November election, today’s session marks the Legislature’s last stand against the tyrannical overreach of the near-total ban. Democrats will ask for votes on legislation to protect the rights of women to make private health care decisions at every opportunity.

“Today marks the Legislature’s last stand against this cruel and unconstitutional 1931 abortion ban,” said House Democratic Leader Donna Lasinski (D-Scio Township). “The Republican majority wants to ride out the clock on this issue and bury these votes until after Election Day — to hide from the people of Michigan where they stand on this issue because they know it is not with the overwhelming majority of Michiganders who want to see this law repealed. The Republican crusade of ’31 or Bust will play out today, hiding behind every measure they can muster to keep from taking a single record roll call vote on repealing this law while defending the ban, exactly as written, in the courts to this day. Today, we will push this issue onto the House floor and watch one caucus run away from this vote again and again while Democrats stand where we always have — with the women of Michigan to determine their own future.”

During last week’s session, House Democrats moved to discharge key bills from the committees in which Republicans have trapped them. Instead of addressing the motions, the majority used a parliamentary maneuver to indefinitely postpone them — keeping the bills in limbo and again demonstrating their unending desire to avoid taking up the pressing issues affecting Michiganders today, including the right to choose.