Today we mark the anniversary of the Supreme Court’s decision on Roe v. Wade -- which guaranteed the constitutional right to an abortion in our country for nearly 50 years.

I want to take just a moment to share what that right means to me, and why Democrats are fighting back so hard -- here in Michigan and nationwide -- against the extremists who are actively working to dismantle our hard-won reproductive freedoms.

Just over ten years ago, I was serving in the Michigan state Senate, and we were debating a dangerous bill that raised insurance costs for women who wanted to have an abortion or had an unwanted pregnancy.

The bill was on track to pass -- and so I gathered up my courage to share a deeply personal story about my own sexual assault for the first time.

The bill ended up passing anyway, but the outpouring of love and support I received from Michiganders reinforced my belief that I had made the right choice in speaking out.

It took me 20 years to tell my story, and I know that right now, millions of people are scared to share theirs -- out of fear that no one would believe them or that they could be punished.

But I want them to know that I understand their situation. I’ve felt their pain. And as the governor of Michigan, I will never stop fighting for them.

That’s why after the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade, I took action immediately to protect the right to an abortion in Michigan. I signed legislation that repealed an extreme 1931 law that banned abortion in our state without exceptions for rape or incest and criminalized nurses and doctors for doing their jobs.

I’ve signed a series of bills that expanded access to abortion care and ended politically motivated laws that make it harder for women to access healthcare.

And just last month, I signed the final piece of the Reproductive Health Act into law, repealing the same extreme, anti-choice bill we were debating ten years ago when I shared my story for the first time.

Our work isn’t done. I’m committed to doing everything I can to ensure we elect Democrats up and down the ballot in 2024 who will protect our fundamental rights. That means electing Democrats at the local level, electing more Democratic governors, winning back the House, defending Democrats’ Senate majority, and of course, reelecting Joe Biden and Kamala Harris.

It’s a tall order, but I’m ready to fight like hell -- and I hope you are, too. Our rights are on the line.

Thank you for taking the time to read this message, and for your support.

Gretchen

Gretchen Whitmer
Governor, Michigan

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