FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Joint statement from the ACLU of Michigan, Planned Parenthood Advocates of Michigan, Michigan Voices, Reproductive Freedom for All Michigan, LGBT Detroit, Northland Family Planning Centers, Progress Michigan, Michigan Chamber for Reproductive Justice, All* Above All, Native Justice Coalition, Michigan Organization on Adolescent Sexual Health, Emergent Justice, APIA Vote MI, Mothers of Hope, Equality Michigan, Jews for Secular Democracy, Michigan Unitarian Universalist Social Justice Network, Scotsdale Women's Clinic, YWCA Kalamazoo, Eastland Women's Clinic, Detroit Jews for Justice, Oakland Forward, Rising Voices, CrazyMilkLady Lactation Support Services, LLC, Detroit Disability Power, Michigan Coalition for Reproductive Liberation, MOSES Action, Center for Change: a Northern Michigan Advocacy Group, Detroit Change Initiative, Mothering Justice, and Michigan United.
LANSING, MI – Today, the Michigan Senate voted on the Reproductive Health Act, which now heads to the House of Representatives, where components of the RHA are being negotiated out of the legislation. Advocates for abortion access in Michigan released the following statement calling on the House to pass the RHA in full:
“The freedom to make our own decisions about our lives and futures is critical to all of us. That is why we are calling on the House of Representatives to pass the Reproductive Health Act (RHA) in full. The RHA will remove the many barriers to abortion care in Michigan state law that exist only to push abortion out of reach. Repealing these medically unnecessary restrictions will improve the health and well-being of Michiganders – which is why from Detroit to northern and western Michigan, voters support passing the RHA in full.
Barriers like the ban on insurance coverage, the 24-hour mandatory delay, TRAP laws, and other medically unnecessary restrictions make abortion care more difficult to access and often disproportionately impact Black and brown people, people working to make ends meet, rural residents, and other marginalized people. For example, eliminating the abortion ban for private insurance coverage is included in the current package, while Medicaid coverage for abortion is not. This means that those with money have reproductive freedom, and people who are struggling to make ends meet often don’t.
We are incensed and saddened that some members of the House are considering dismantling the RHA; leaving out critical components of this legislation will result in real harm to the health of real people across the state. This also is not in line with what Michiganders want from their lawmakers, and we will continue to push to ensure that the RHA is passed in full. We call on all members of the Michigan House of Representatives to reflect the will of their constituents and pass the RHA in full. Without repealing medically unnecessary rules like the 24-hour state-mandated delay and the ban on Medicaid coverage, Michiganders will continue to face unjust and unnecessary barriers to care.”
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