LANSING, Mich. (Sept. 8, 2021) — Sen. Erika Geiss (D-Taylor) and Rep. Laurie Pohutsky (D-Livonia), along with Planned Parenthood Advocates of Michigan Executive Director Nicole Wells Stallworth and Planned Parenthood of Michigan Chief Medical Officer Dr. Sarah Wallett, hosted a press conference today to highlight Senate Bill 70 and House Bill 5289, and to discuss Republican efforts to overturn safe access to reproductive health care and abortions across the country.
“Abortion is health care — plain and simple. We must protect the right to health care and ensure those who can become pregnant have access to the people and services that are in their best interest,” Sen. Geiss said. “Government has no place in dictating health outcomes for anyone, and yet all too often, they do. Senate Bill 70 would ensure that the power remains with the people to oversee their health care decisions. It is beyond time for the Legislature to act expeditiously to pass this bill.”
The fight for bodily autonomy and the ability to have an abortion is an integral right protected by the landmark 1973 Roe v. Wade Supreme Court decision. Introduced by Sen. Geiss and Rep. Kyra Bolden (D-Southfield), respectively, SB 70 and HB 5289 would protect this right by repealing the 1931 Michigan law — which has been moot since Roe v. Wade — that would criminalize providers, not patients, if it were enforced.
“As a legislator, and now as governor, I have stood with women across the state of Michigan who are fighting for their right to choose, and I will not stop now,” Gov. Gretchen Whitmer said. “I’m thankful to have such strong partners in the legislature, including Senator Erika Geiss, who has introduced a bill to repeal the state’s nearly-century-old ban on abortion. This legislation is critical, given the Supreme Court’s recent decision allowing Texas’ extreme anti-choice law to stay in place, which sets the United States on a dangerous path towards overturning Roe v. Wade and throwing out the constitutional right to choose that has been in place for 48 years. I will continue to stand in the way of any bills that seek to strip away fundamental rights from women or get in the way of doctors’ ability to do their jobs. I urge the legislature to get this done, and I look forward to signing it.”
The new Texas law bans abortions after the sixth week and takes enforcement away from the state, putting it into the hands of private citizens who must litigate the issue in court.
“What happened in Texas is a test case, and it’s simply a matter of time before this type of legislation sees action in other states around the country,” Rep. Pohutsky said. “Our state legislature is the last line of defense to preserve access to abortions for all individuals. In part, I ran for office to protect the right for a pregnant person to have a safe abortion, and I look forward to continuing this fight for bodily autonomy in the House of Representatives as we work to pass the House bill that was introduced yesterday.”
Senate Bill 70 has been sent to the Senate Judiciary and Public Safety Committee where Republicans in charge of the committee have yet to give the bill a hearing.
“No matter what happens, Planned Parenthood of Michigan will work tirelessly to give our patients the high quality, compassionate care they deserve — the kind of care that helps them live the life they choose,” said Dr. Sarah Wallett, chief medical officer of Planned Parenthood of Michigan. “We need to protect access to that care and make sure our laws match our ideas. More than two thirds of Michiganders want Roe v Wade to stay in place. We can’t control SCOTUS, but we can make sure that abortion remains safe and legal here.”
“Tens of thousands of people in Michigan have safe, legal abortions every year. Their reasons are as unique as their backgrounds, lives, and plans for their futures,” added Nicole Wells Stallworth, executive director of Planned Parenthood Advocates of Michigan. “If the Supreme Court overturns Roe, access to abortion would be threatened — and with it, the power of countless Michiganders to do what they, their physician, and their loved ones know is best for them. Repealing Michigan’s abortion ban is the surefire way to protect everyone’s right to make decisions about their future, and we need to pass it now, before we wake up in the same situation as Texas.”
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