Republican majority uses rare ruling to declare reproductive rights amendments are intended as a delay
LANSING, Mich., Sept. 28, 2022 — Today, on what is likely the final voting session day in the House before the lame duck period, Democrats offered a tie-bar amendment to repeal the 1931 abortion ban. A dilatory ruling is a rare mechanism not seen in the House for decades, but was employed today by the Republican majority to shut down the amendment, a top priority for House Democrats and a majority of Michiganders statewide.
“The dilatory ruling is insulting and completely detached from the reality facing women across our state and the clear demand that these rights be protected. Lansing Republicans ruled our efforts to do just that a waste of their time,” said House Democratic Leader Donna Lasinski (D-Scio Township). “For Republicans to use this specific ruling is incredibly telling — to say that we are being overzealous in the pursuit of protecting abortion rights while they are defending this cruel and archaic law, exactly as written with no exceptions for rape, incest, or for children who are victims of sexual violence, in the courts today. It’s unbelievable, even for this majority leadership. Our bill to repeal the ‘31 abortion ban deserves an up or down, record roll call vote, and instead we get this: a majority party pulling out every ancient tool they can dust off to trample any notion of protecting these rights.”