LANSING, Mich. (WLNS) – The Michigan Supreme Court has ruled in favor of the Reproductive Freedom For All ballot initiative.
That means that voters will be able to decide the future of abortion rights in the Mitten State on the November midterm ballots.
The major news has drawn reactions from Michigan officials and politicians from both sides of the aisle.
You can see how they’re feeling about the news below.
“Today’s decision by the State Supreme Court to allow the Reproductive Freedom for All initiative to appear on the November ballot is a victory for all Michiganders. Abortion is a decision that should be left between a woman and her doctor. There is no space and no reason for lawmakers or radical anti-abortion activists to be in that room with a woman when she makes one of the most difficult decisions of her life. Control over one’s body is a fundamental right and it is time that we enshrine that right in our state’s constitution for every woman in Michigan starting with putting this initiative before the voters in November.”
Michigan Democratic Party Chair Lavora Barnes.
“It falls to voters now to reject this mistake-ridden, extreme proposal on Election Day. We are confident that a majority will say No to Proposal 3. It authorizes abortions up until the moment of birth, while sweeping away every law designed to impose common sense limits on abortions, such as parental consent, and health and safety regulations on abortion clinics. This would become part of our constitution permanently, and no matter how much it endangered the health and safety of our children, we’d be stuck with it. We urge voters to say No on November 8th.”
Christen Pollo of Citizens to Support MI Women and Children, an anti-abortion group.
“The Supreme Court did the right thing today. In my district, while many women identify as pro-life, they have taken pains to engage me on this issue. Though many make clear that they would never personally have an abortion, they also have never walked in another woman’s shoes and therefore would never dictate to other women what they can or can’t do with their lives. That’s the choice voters will face this fall: In Michigan, do we want the Roe standard or the 1931 abortion ban as law in our state? Michiganders—not the government, and not politicians like my opponent—deserve to have the final say on personal choices. Thanks to the Court’s ruling, they will.”
Congresswoman Elissa Slotkin
“Doctors across Michigan look forward to Reproductive Freedom for All being passed in November so that we can continue to help our patients make the deeply personal and private decisions around pregnancy and abortion, without politicians deciding for them. Voting YES on this proposal will ensure that when serious complications arise during pregnancies, doctors can use the full range of treatment options we’ve been trained to do, including abortion, to do what is best for our patients. This proposal will save lives of Michigan women. Just as doctors trust our patients to know what is best for their bodies and their families, this proposal will trust Michigan women to make their own personal medical decisions.”
Dr. Timothy Johnson of the Committee To Protect Healthcare
“We wholeheartedly and unapologetically support abortion access and believe in expanding voting rights and we’re glad to see the Michigan Supreme Court do the right thing and protect Michigander’s right to vote on these critical issues. This isn’t the first time Republican members of a board of canvassers have tried to undermine the democratic process and overrule thousands of voters, and it probably won’t be the last, and we need to address this problem in the long term. But for now, we’re celebrating the Michigan Supreme Court’s decision and look forward to voters voting on both of these proposals.”
Lonnie Scott, executive director of Progress Michigan, a progressive advoacy group
No matter what, we must pass the Reproductive Freedom for All ballot initiative in November to enshrine the full spectrum of reproductive healthcare into our constitution and prevent politicians from interfering with the right to a safe and legal abortion in the future
State Rep. Julie Brixie MI-69
“Today’s rulings from the Michigan Supreme Court underscore that the role of the Board of State Canvassers under law is to affirm the will of the voters. That means certifying ballot proposals if and when a sufficient number of eligible citizens’ signatures support the petition, just as the law compels them to certify election results based on the votes cast by the people of Michigan. I am grateful to the court for affirming this and hope the board now resumes its longstanding practice of working within its authority under Michigan law.”
Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson
