Michigan anti-abortion groups are launching their ballot drive to restrict a common second-trimester abortion procedure they say is "barbaric."
Right to Life of Michigan is kicking off its canvassing efforts Wednesday. The group will start collecting signatures for ballot initiative. It would ban an abortion procedure known as dilation and evacuation, or D&E. The procedure is most commonly used in the second trimester. The measure would make it a crime for doctors to perform the procedure, unless the life of the mother was at risk.
Barbara Listing is the president of Right to Life of Michigan. She said there are bills in the state House and Senate to ban this procedure, but, “We are not going to wait. The governor has indicated that she has promised to veto any…probably any pro-life initiative.”
If the group gets enough signatures, the Republican-led state Legislature would first have a chance to pass the measure into law without the governor’s signature.
Genevieve Marnon is with Right to Life of Michigan. She they spoke with lawmakers and think they would adopt the measure.
“That is our preferred course,” she said. “Simpler that way.”
Lori Carpentier is the president and CEO of Planned Parenthood Advocates of Michigan. She said the group is trying to use a loophole to pass an unpopular initiative into law.
“We know that the people of Michigan don’t want this and so they’re going to do an end run so that small group of primarily white men can make broad decisions for the women of Michigan and we think that’s wrong,” Carpentier said.
The group now has 180 days to get more than 300-thousand signatures.
