LANSING — State Rep. Mari Manoogian (D-Birmingham) and members of the House Democratic Caucus were joined by Gov. Gretchen Whitmer and other stakeholders today for the introduction of the Michigan Reproductive Health Act (RHA), which would guarantee individuals the freedom to make independent decisions about their own reproductive health.
“The Reproductive Health Act is critical to ensuring all women in Michigan have access to appropriate reproductive health care, and it’s up to us as elected leaders to fight for legislation that keeps politics out of these very personal medical decisions,” said Manoogian. “Repealing laws that place politics over medicine and public health is critical to ensuring all women are treated with dignity and respect when it comes to their health care decisions.”
The omnibus RHA bill, sponsored by state Rep. Kristy Pagan (D-Canton), would protect individual decision-making in the area of reproductive health based on what is best for individual and unique situations. The RHA recognizes that when it comes to making decisions about reproductive health care, the decision should be based on medical facts, not political ideology. The legislation also repeals outdated and unconstitutional prohibitions on reproductive health care to bring it more in line with the treatment of other forms of medical care.
“Conversations about reproductive health access are often on a national scale, despite the very real restrictions already enacted as law right here in Michigan,” said Pagan. “No two pregnancies are the same and no one needs or wants politicians to make medical decisions for them. The future generations of our state are depending on us to bring our reproductive rights laws into the 21st century and ensure reproductive health care is accessible.”
In Michigan, numerous restrictions on abortion care are codified in state law, serving as barriers to access for women seeking it as a safe, constitutionally-protected health care option. Additionally, medically unnecessary and burdensome standards are being imposed on abortion providers across the state in an attempt to effectively criminalize those administering the best medically-appropriate care for each of their patients’ unique circumstances.
###