State lawmakers are a step closer to adding restrictions for abortion providers.
The state Senate passed the measure on Wednesday.
The legislation has been the subject of passionate debate at the state Capitol for several months.
Proponents say new licensing and insurance requirements will protect women’s safety.
Republican state Senator Rick Jones is one of the most outspoken advocates of the measure in the Senate.
“This bill provides that abortion clinics will be safe, they will be inspected, they will be licensed," he says. "This is so important to the safety of women in the state of Michigan.”
Opponents of the legislation say it will make abortions more expensive and harder to get. They say more women are likely to turn to illegal and unsafe methods of abortion.
The Senate recently passed other abortion-related bills. They include one that allows doctors, medical facilities, and insurers to deny care based on moral objections.
