LANSING — Today, House Republicans passed legislation to impose harsh criminal penalties on medical professionals for providing one of the safest, legal methods of abortion to Michigan women. The bills, HB 4320 and 4321, would impose penalties of up to two years imprisonment and/or fines up to $50,000 on doctors who perform such procedures. Similar legislation introduced in other states has been repeatedly struck down as unconstitutional. In response, state Rep. Mari Manoogian (D-Birmingham) issued the following statement:
“Partisan politicians have no place interfering with medical decisions that occur between a woman and her doctor. This bill is an unconstitutional intrusion on the doctor-patient relationship which would weaken the quality of care available to Michiganders, compromising the health and safety of women throughout the state. I will continue to work with my colleagues to fight against harmful legislation like this, and ensure we are acting in the best interest of the people, not special interest groups.”
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