The Grand Rapids Pregnancy Resource Center sent this opposition email dated September 19, 2023. (Quoted in part.)

PRC Grand Rapids and Michigan Coalition for Pregnancy Wellness are speaking out on your behalf, along with others. We have united in opposition to the Reproductive Health Act (House Bills 4949-4959 dated 09/07/2023). The press elease below was issued on
September 14, 2023.

LANSING, MI – Today, the Michigan Coalition to Protect a Woman’s Right to Know announced its strong opposition to the Reproductive Health Act (RHA) saying the bills would strip long-standing protections for women and children from Michigan law. The coalition, which draws together more than 10 statewide organizations (listed below) representing millions of citizens, says the RHA was hastily crafted and extends far beyond anything conceived of by any past administration. Passage would present an immediate threat to women and children across our state.

The dangerous RHA package of bills includes repealing Michigan’s informed consent and 24-hour waiting period requirement, removing basic surgical abortion clinic health and safety regulations, and eliminating the legal barrier which prevents taxpayer dollars from funding elective abortions.

These bills run contrary to the will of Michigan voters, as demonstrated by a recent poll from the Market Resource Group.1 Our state legislators are elected to represent the will of Michiganders, not impose a dangerous, ideologically driven agenda on citizens.

• Informed consent and the 24-hour waiting period matter to Michigan citizens. Women have a right to know about medical procedures they are presenting themselves for, including abortions. This is a right that exists for every other medical procedure.2 (Informed consent is supported by 63 percent of Michigan citizens.)

• Women seeking surgical abortion services deserve to receive care in buildings that meet the same basic health codes as all other medical facilities, including hallway widths large enough to accommodate EMS stretchers and first responders in the event of an emergency(Abortion clinic health and safety regulations are supported by 90 percent of Michigan citizens.)

• All human life, including the life of a woman seeking an abortion, has inherent value and is worthy of government protection through basic industry regulations. No other industry is left to regulate itself.

• The use of taxpayer dollars to fund elective abortion violates the conscience rights of those opposed to such procedures and ignores the will of the people.3

We, the undersigned, stand united in firm opposition to the proposed legislation which endangers women and call on our state elected leaders to reject the Reproductive Health Act.
Michigan Coalition for Pregnancy Wellness
Life Matters Worldwide
The Great Lakes Justice Center
She Leads Michigan/Fresh Start for Life
Right to Life of Michigan
Michigan Catholic Conference
Christian Coalition
Citizens for Traditional Values
Protect Life Michigan
Mid-Michigan Women for Conservative Values
Democrats for Life
Life Advancement Group
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1. According to polling data released May 19, 2023, 97% of pro-choice Michigan voters SUPPORT abortion regulations and give “total support [for] health and safety standards”, while 65% give “total SUPPORT [for] 24-hour waiting periods. Source: https://www.micatholic.org/advocacy/news-room/lansing-update/2023/poll-shows-michigan-voters-favor-abortion-regulation/

2. Currently, all 50 states in the US have informed consent laws, with the majority including 24 hour or longer waiting periods before an abortion. Michigan would be the first and only state to recklessly abandon this standard of best practice. Source: https://www.guttmacher.org/state-policy/explore/counseling-and-waiting-periods-abortion

3. A majority of 57% of Michigan voters voted to retain the ban on Medicaid-funded abortions the last time the issue was before voters. https://rtl.org/planned-parenthood-requests-repeals
____________________________________________________________________
The Reproductive Health Act is being moved quickly through the House. The House Health Policy Committee held a hearing on September 14. To view the hearing, click here or copy and paste https://www.house.mi.gov/VideoArchivePlayer?video=HHEAL-091423.mp4. Shortly after the hearing, the House Fiscal Agency provided the Legislative Analysis Summary. To read the Legislative Analysis Summary introduced to the House of Representatives on 09/14/2023 from the House Fiscal Agency, click here or copy and paste https://www.legislature.mi.gov/documents/2023-2024/billanalysis/House/pdf/2023-HLA-4949-CFD96288.pdf.

One of the GR PRC's less-known programs is Willing to Wait (W2W). 

"As we look forward to the new school year, I praise God for the privilege of teaching our sexual risk avoidance program, W2W Healthy You™, to a record number of 7,548 students this past year! ...

Most of our students are taught within private and public schools. We also engage students, however, within community organizations, our local juvenile detention center, church youth groups, and even summer camps.

When one of our Willing to Wait instructors shared a snapshot of her recent camp experience, I couldn’t help but contemplate the significant impact we have on area youth."

Worth checking out. https://prcforlife.org/about-us/a-word-from-prc/

Bombshell today from the MI House votes! 

Policy watchers will recall that Rep. Whitsett (D) has previously bucked her party's line on other issues such as vaccine mandates and COVID treatment.

Salt & Light Global emailed members,

This morning in the Health Policy Committee, Rep. Karen Whitsett voted across party lines in support of life. She and 7 other representatives also tried (unsuccessfully) to amend the Reproductive Health Act to mitigate threats to health and the lives of women and children. While many of the Act's bills did pass out of committee with 11-8 votes recommending adoption, notably, HB 4951, 4952, 4957, 4958, and 4959 did not get passed out of committee-another answered prayer!

Before Legislative Session began, Rep. Whitsett's caucus voted to censure her, but she continues to stand with great courage. She said, "There is hope that Representatives can still think principally and act for themselves!"

The encouraging events of today-Rep. Whitsett's principled position and the fact that all bills were not passed out of committee-are cause for hope. However, we must continue to pray, especially for all the Representatives who are standing for life amid tremendous pressure. The Bi-Partisan opposition to these dangerous bills means that these bills are unlikely to move for a vote on the house floor, and may be defeated, as long as they continue to stand strong.

Detroit News called it yesterday, reporting details and implications of Democrat defections.

Detroit Democrat says she'll vote against key abortion bills, potentially blocking passage

Beth LeBlanc  | September 20, 2023  |  The Detroit News

 

Lansing — A Detroit Democrat vowed Wednesday to vote against several key elements of a package of bills repealing regulations on abortion, endangering a priority Democratic Gov. Gretchen Whitmer outlined in a recent policy speech.

Rep. Karen Whitsett said she will not support legislation that allows for Medicaid funding of abortions nor will she support repeals of Michigan's 24-hour waiting period and current regulations treating some abortion clinics as surgical outpatient facilities. Any bills tie-barred to those provisions also will get a no-vote, Whitsett said.

Whitsett's unwillingness to support the bills spells trouble in the House, where all 56 Democratic members are required to approve controversial legislation. Without Whitsett or a Republican voting in favor of the change, the bills will fail.

"I will not vote and fund Medicaid abortions, that's not gonna happen," Whitsett said. She added on the state's 24-hour waiting period: "I do not think it is too much to ask when someone's terminating a life, a 24-hour pause to be able to say for sure this is the decision you want to make. 24 hours is not too much."

Whitsett said current regulations for abortion clinics labeled as surgical facilities are reasonable and she worried Medicaid funding for abortions would divert funding from low-income seniors, who are at times “one prescription drug away from any situation.”

The repeal of the ban on Medicaid coverage of abortions would increase state Medicaid costs by between $2 million and $6 million, according to an analysis by the nonpartisan House Fiscal Agency. It's not clear how or if that additional funding would affect senior Medicaid access.

Whitsett said she believes in safe and healthy access to abortion, but believes the rules currently in place still provide that access. The lawmaker said she has been pressured by her caucus to change her vote.

"I didn’t get here to do an easy job," Whitsett said. "I have a district to represent and it’s diverse. People who I have talked to in the community, this is what they want.”

Amber McCann, a spokeswoman for House Speaker Joe Tate, D-Detroit, said Wednesday that Whitsett has "been known to change her mind." Sponsors of the abortion legislation are working with Whitsett to find common ground, McCann said.

"There have been many issues that have come before the House that the speaker has been successful in getting 56 votes for and I don't doubt (Tate's) ability to do that for any item we bring on the board," McCann said.

"I would say that it's a false choice that extending full healthcare to one group of people somehow then diminishes the ability to care for another group of people," McCann added.

Michigan Planned Parenthood Advocates, the political advocacy arm of the abortion provider, on social media called Whitsett's stance a "betrayal" and listed the lawmaker's phone number and email to encourage voters to contact her.

"Every time someone must drive over 7 hours to access abortion, has to reschedule their appointment over a timestamp, or worries over how they will pay, Rep. Whitsett will be responsible," the group said on social media.

Whitmer has endorsed the Reproductive Health Act, signaling specific support in a "What's next" speech last month for the repeal of the 24-hour waiting period. She sent out a statement Wednesday celebrating passage of some of the bills out of committee and urged the Legislature to pass the bills.

"We must ensure that they can access the reproductive health care they need without delay, without paying high costs out of pocket, and without fear of prosecution for experiencing a miscarriage or a stillbirth," Whitmer said in a statement.

Whitsett has been known to ruffle feathers among Democratic colleagues in the past. In the early weeks of the pandemic, Whitsettmet with President Donald Trump and Vice President Mike Penceand credited hydroxychloroquine for saving her life when she had COVID; she was later censured by the 13th Congressional District Democratic Party Organization. The censure led to a lawsuit that was later dropped. About a month before the pandemic, Whitsett told WWJ radio (950 AM) that then-House Minority Leader Christine Greig of Farmington Hills was a racist because she wouldn’t consider an urban agenda for the Democratic caucus.

Health policy passes abortion bills

Whitsett voiced her opposition to the legislation after the House Health Policy Committee voted to move six of 11 bills contained in the Reproductive Health Act from committee. Whitsett was the lone Democratic no-vote on them; on a sixth, Rep. Alabas Farhat passed on the vote.

The proposed legislation would put into state law the constitutional language enshrining abortion access that was approved by voters in November and repealing several regulations they say are in conflict with that access. Supporters have said the legislation repeals rules meant only to impede access to abortion; opponents have said the regulations up for repeal ensure the health of the pregnant woman.

Rep. Julie Rogers, D-Kalamazoo, said she knew Whitsett had concerns about the legislation but was unaware until Wednesday that she intended to vote against all of the bills.

She said Whitsett’s no-vote does not automatically mean the bills will be blocked, noting two Republican lawmakers voted for legislation earlier this year that repealed the state’s 1931 abortion ban.

“It’s on the table as a possibility,” Rogers said of Republican support. She said she couldn’t speak to whether Democrats had any commitments for Republican support.

Rep. Tom Kunse, R-Clare, when asked about the possibility a Republican would peel off to support the bill, responded: "She is mistaken."

"I haven't seen any indication of that," Kunse said Wednesday.

Michigan laws currently prohibit the use of Medicaid funding for elective abortions and mandates private health plans require a rider with an added premium for abortion coverage.

Michigan law requires women seeking an abortion to read through materials on abortion, fetal gestation and potential complications roughly 24 hours ahead of an abortion. They are required to sign a time-stamped attestation to prove they've read the materials. The law also requires physicians to screen women seeking an abortion for signs of coercion.

Michigan building code regulations also require clinics providing more than 120 surgical abortions a year to be licensed as freestanding surgical outpatient facilities, which mandates several stringent benchmarks related to hallway widths, ceiling heights and HVAC standards.

https://www.detroitnews.com/story/news/local/michigan/2023/09/20/detroit-democrat-says-shell-vote-against-key-abortion-bills/70908947007/