Friend,

After the repeal of Roe v. Wade, I emailed you about a law from 1931 that Michigan currently has on the books that criminalizes abortion in almost all circumstances. I explained that the only reason that law had not snapped back into effect following Roe’s repeal was because of a temporary injunction from a Michigan judge. Well, today there were some disturbing updates on that front. 

This morning, a ruling from the Michigan Court of Appeals found that ruling does not extend to county prosecutors. It was set to make real the 1931 ban on personal freedom in Michigan. 

Within the last few hours, thanks to quick work from our state's Governor and Attorney General, a temporary restraining order has been granted to prevent enforcement of the 1931 law, at least while the order is pending.

This whiplash of today’s court rulings makes one thing clear: we must do away with it once and for all in order to preserve personal freedom and avoid the fear and confusion this ongoing litigation creates for providers and women across the state. 

Allowing the ban to take full effect will have chilling consequences on services, no matter what county you live in, as doctors face the very real possibility that providing an abortion—even to a woman who has been raped, or who is in the middle of a miscarriage—could land them in jail. The law could also lead to local prosecutors bringing charges against women for their private choices, including basic pregnancy care sought by the one in four women who go through miscarriages of a wanted pregnancy.

We’re already seeing the horror stories starting to come out of places like Texas, where women in the middle of having a miscarriage are now being sent home and told to return when their fever gets higher or they bleed hard enough. No matter our political views, women understand how frightening this is for their lives and ability to have children in the future. That’s what this is about: the personal freedom to make private decisions without government interference.

My opponent has made it clear he wants the ban in place. He brags about being ‘100% Pro-Life—No Exceptions,’ including for rape or incest, and he’s led legislation that would allow prosecutors to bring additional criminal charges against doctors who provide reproductive care. For someone who talks A LOT about how much personal freedom means to him, he’s very willing to turn around and strip women of the freedom to make their own choices.  

Fortunately, voters will have the final say on Michiganders’ personal freedom. Organizers submitted more than 750,000 signatures for a ballot initiative that would enshrine the Roe standard in Michigan’s constitution and invalidate the 1931 ban. It’s therefore up to Michigan voters to decide which way we want our state to go this November.