LANSING, Mich. (March 1, 2023) — The Michigan Senate Health Policy Committee voted today to pass Senate Democrats’ package of legislation to repeal Michigan’s 1931 statute that criminalizes abortion care and related acts.  The lead sponsors of the bills are Sen. Erika Geiss (D-Taylor), Sen. Sarah Anthony (D-Lansing), Sen. Rosemary Bayer (D-West Bloomfield), and Sen. Stephanie Chang (D-Detroit).  

The following bills were passed out of committee today:  

    • Senate Bill 2 (Geiss), which repeals the 1931 ban on contraception and other information about reproductive health (by repealing section 40 of 1931 PA 328);   
    • Senate Bill 37 (Bayer), which would update the code of criminal procedure;   
    • Senate Bill 38 (Chang), which would update the corrections code;  
    • Senate Bill 39 (Geiss), which repeals Section 14 of 1931 PA 328 that criminalizes providing an abortion. 
    • Senate Bill 93 (Anthony), which repeals penalties for the sale of drugs or medicine to procure a miscarriage. 

“I am pleased to work with my colleagues on this legislation to ensure all Michiganders have access to the full range of reproductive health care, bodily autonomy, and the ability to make their own decisions without government interference,” said Sen. Geiss. “The public spoke and demands of us to hear them, protect reproductive rights and freedom, and render these antiquated zombie laws struck down.” 

“Reproductive health care decisions are between a patient and their doctor, period,” said Sen. Chang. “No one should have their options for reproductive care limited by politics or other people’s beliefs—especially those not grounded in science. I look forward to swift passage of these bills to advance reproductive freedom in Michigan.”   

Almost 2.5 million Michiganders—56.7 percent of voters—voted this fall to create a constitutional right to reproductive freedom and protect women, their bodies and their rights. The most urgent and pertinent part of fulfilling the public’s will on Proposal 3 is repealing the 1931 ban on abortion, without exceptions for rape and incest, and related statutes. When this archaic and dangerous law was passed, women had only had the federal right to vote for a little over a decade. The legislation was drafted and enacted by an entirely male Legislature.  

“I have always seen doing the people’s work as my role and goal in the Legislature, and this package of bills does just that,” said Sen. Anthony. “Michigan voters spoke loud and clear about the need for reproductive freedom and for women to have control of their bodies enshrined in our laws, and my legislation and its companion bills is the final piece to accomplishing that.” 

“It’s fitting that these bills are moving on the first day of Women’s History Month, as today, we are undoing the shameful history of the legislative actions in 1931 at the expense of—and with no input from—Michigan women,” said Sen. Bayer. “And at the exact same time, we are paving the way for a better, safer future and changing history for Michigan women now and in the future.”   

 

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