LANSING, Mich., Aug. 1, 2022 — The Michigan Court of Appeals ruled today that the current injunction against enforcement of the state’s 1931 abortion ban does not restrict county prosecutors from enforcing the 90-year-old law.
“This ruling makes Michigan a far more dangerous place to be pregnant,” said House Democratic Leader Donna Lasinski (D-Scio Township). “Navigating pregnancy care and crisis events in a confusing, county-by-county landscape under vaguely defined or non-existent standards of “danger to the life of the mother” will, at best, result in dangerous delays in healthcare situations that often require immediate action. Miscarriages and their complications are unfortunately common occurences and our doctors shouldn’t fear a jail sentence for delivering the care they know is best for their patients. Life-saving medical care should not be determined by the whims and politics of local prosecutors. This is a dangerous landscape when treatable conditions may be prolonged as a perverse roulette game until they bring patients closer to losing their lives to justify treatment of “life of the mother in danger” while waiting for legal clarification, documentation, authorization and then finally, maybe, the care they need.”
“It’s a dangerous maze of vague legal definitions, county-by-county jurisdictional questions, and extremist politics to navigate during any pregnancy,” said state Rep. Laurie Pohutsky (D-Livonia), chair of the Progressive Women’s Caucus. “There are countless factors in assessing care needs during a pregnancy, or deciding to end one, and the court has now added to that list the discretion and political allegiances of your county prosecutor. We need a state-level law to protect Michiganders’ personal freedoms, and the rights to privacy and the healthcare that is right for them in every county — we need the Reproductive Health Act to defend these rights and, in light of today’s ruling, we need it right now to protect the lives of pregnant Michiganders.”