Press Release
NARAL Celebrates as Michigan State Legislature Sends Bills to Repeal Pre-Roe Abortion Ban to Gov. Whitmer’s Desk
For Immediate Release: Wednesday, March 8, 2023
Contact: [email protected]
Lansing, MI — Today, the Michigan State Legislature passed multiple bills to repeal the state’s draconian 1931 total ban on abortion, marking a major milestone for reproductive freedom in the Great Lakes State. These bills specifically repeal the pre-Roe v. Wade total abortion ban. These bills passed the Michigan State Senate and now head to Governor Gretchen Whitmer’s desk for her signature.
NARAL Pro-Choice America President Mini Timmaraju released the following statement in response:
“This is proof positive that elections matter. Michiganders made clear in the midterms that they overwhelmingly support reproductive freedom, and repealing this oppressive pre-Roe ban sends an unmistakable signal that Michigan will always fight for abortion access. NARAL Pro-Choice America and our 125,500 members in Michigan look forward to Governor Gretchen Whitmer signing these bills into law.”
Repealing this pre-Roe total abortion ban will be a major step forward for Michiganders, who overwhelmingly voiced their support for equitable abortion access in the November elections. This moment was only made possible because Michiganders elected a reproductive freedom majority in the state legislature and approved the “Reproductive Freedom for All” ballot initiative, enshrining the right to reproductive freedom, including the right to abortion and contraception, in the state constitution. The people hurt most by abortion bans and restrictions are those who already face barriers to accessing abortion care—including women; Black, Latina/x, Asian American, Native Hawaiian, Pacific Islander, and Indigenous people; those working to make ends meet; the LGBTQ+ community; immigrants; young people; those living in rural communities; people with disabilities, and other historically oppressed communities.
###
For over 50 years, NARAL Pro-Choice America has fought to protect and advance reproductive freedom at the federal and state levels—including access to abortion care, birth control, pregnancy and post-partum care, and paid family leave—for everybody. NARAL is powered by its 4 million members from every state and congressional district in the country, representing the 8 in 10 Americans who support legal abortion.