Aligning Michigan Abortion Laws with the Voter-Approved Reproductive Freedom Amendment
Center sues state to block burdensome abortion laws left on the books after voters enshrined reproductive freedom into their state constitution in 2022.
In November 2022, just months after the U.S. Supreme Court eliminated the federal constitutional right to abortion, voters in Michigan overwhelmingly approved the Reproductive Freedom for All Act (RFFA). The proposal amended the Michigan state constitution to protect individuals’ reproductive freedom from unwarranted government interference.
While the Michigan legislature repealed some of the state’s abortion restrictions after the amendment passed, some of the most burdensome abortion restrictions—and particularly those that directly impact patients—still remain.
This lawsuit will “help ensure the state’s laws reflect the will of Michigan voters.” –Rabia Muqaddam, senior staff attorney
To help ensure that Michigan’s abortion laws align with the RFFA, today the Center for Reproductive Rights filed a lawsuit challenging three state abortion restrictions:
- A law mandating that abortion patients wait a minimum of 24 hours after receiving biased counseling materials before they can access care.
- A law forcing clinicians to dispense to their patients biased counseling materials containing irrelevant, inaccurate and stigmatizing information about abortion.
- A prohibition on qualified advanced practice clinicians (APCs) providing abortion care, even though they are permitted to administer the same medications and procedures for the treatment of early miscarriage.
Abortion on the Ballot: Seven Victories, No Losses
Since Roe v. Wade was overturned in 2022, abortion-related ballot initiatives have been on the ballot in seven states—and in all seven states, voters sided in favor of abortion rights.
“When they voted overwhelmingly for the RFFA, the people of Michigan sent a clear message that they want reproductive freedom to be protected to the utmost degree under their state constitution,” said Rabia Muqaddam, senior staff attorney at the Center. “With this lawsuit, we hope to eliminate archaic and harmful restrictions that are outright contrary to the RFFA and help ensure the state’s laws reflect the will of Michigan voters.”
Michigan is one of seven states in which voters have weighed in on abortion-related ballot measures after the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade. Each time, voters sided in favor of abortion rights.
Read more about the case filed today here.
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