News & Commentary

Apparently, things are getting a little heated out there in Lansing. Despite massive public opposition, the Michigan House of Representatives passed an omnibus abortion bill (which we told you about here) that could shut down clinics that provide safe, legal abortions and end medication abortions throughout the state. Decorum was shattered. Gavels were struck. But not because lawmakers passed an extreme and dangerous law; a law that so clearly threatens the health and lives of all Michigan women. No, because Rep. Lisa Brown – that saucy minx – talked about her hoo-hah. Testifying against the bill, she told the Speaker "I'm flattered you are interested in my vagina, but no means no." Today, she and Rep. Barb Byrum (who reportedly shouted the word “vasectomy” out of turn) have been banned from speaking on the floor of the House. Uh guys, I think you missed the point. Did you think no one would notice when you passed this bill? Did you see what happened in Virginia this year? Allow me to remind you: The Governor of Virginia and the state legislature pushed through an extremely controversial mandatory ultrasound law (and if you think even saying the word “vagina” in the state legislature is bad, you should see the props they pulled out for this one). The people of Virginia did not want their government to do this. The people of Virginia are now pissed off. According to a poll released this spring, voter approval for the Governor and Legislature has plummeted to new lows among both men and women and across party lines. In fact, according to the poll, this is the first time the Virginia Legislature has ever received a “negative grade” from Virginia voters. The poll also revealed that 72 percent of Virginians do not want the government using its resources to interfere with a woman’s personal and private decisions about abortion. I wonder what will happen in Virginia this November. It’s not too late in Michigan, though. You can ensure this bill never becomes law. You can get back to the work you were actually elected to do. I bet no one will talk about vaginas if you do. By Alexa Kolbi-Molinas, ACLU Reproductive Freedom Project

As you may have heard, Mississippi passed a law earlier this year, which was explicitly designed to shut down the only health care center in the entire state where a woman can get a safe, legal abortion. In passing the law, some politicians made quite clear that they knew the closure would jeopardize the health and lives of Mississippi women—and that they didn’t care. Apparently all this notoriety made their compatriots, in Michigan, quite jealous—why should Mississippi get all the attention, they must have asked themselves? So last week, from out of nowhere, politicians in Michigan rushed through not one, but a whole package of bills (take that, Mississippi!) chock full of abortion restrictions that could close women’s health centers across the state and leave women in Michigan without access to safe, comprehensive reproductive health care. The Michigan House of Representatives came close to passing these bills today, but at the last minute, legislators decided to postpone the vote. They are vowing to bring it up for a vote tomorrow or the next day. That gives us a small window to make our voices heard. When will these politicians finally learn? Abortion is a complicated issue, but supporting a woman’s health and well-being should be simple. We should give every woman the opportunity to make the best decision for her circumstances, whether that decision is raising a child, adoption, or abortion. Politicians cannot make that decision for her. Some Michigan lawmakers apparently believe that because they don’t like abortion, no one should be able to have one, no matter her situation. And if shutting down women’s health centers is the way to prohibit a woman from having access to abortion, I guess they think they can get away with that. They are wrong. And that’s just the message that thousands of people have conveyed to Michigan lawmakers in the last week. But the extremists in Michigan haven’t backed down--yet. They are still trying to rush this legislation through the House. We need to step up to beat back this attack. Send your message now. Share this blog on Facebook and Twitter. If these legislators continue to play politics with women’s health, we all lose. By Elissa Berger, ACLU Advocacy and Policy Counsel

The committee room was packed: women in bright pink tees, young aides in black suits, babies and distinguished physicians. Stickers and laptops and video cameras were out and at the ready.This was not the typical show for a 9 a.m. House Committee on Health Policy meeting in Lansing.At issue was the committee’s approval of what many consider to be the worst assault on women’s health in Michigan history. If passed, the three-bill package (HB 5711, HB 5712, and HB 5713), will effectively make abortion inaccessible to women in our state.Not only would these bills burden the already-limited number of abortion providers with new and expensive regulations, they would also significantly intrude on the protected doctor-patient relationship, forcing physicians to conduct scripted inquiries into the personal lives of their patients.Needless to say, the bill provoked quite an outpouring of opposition. I had driven up early from Ann Arbor with a group of semi-retired professionals, all women, all activists. They couldn’t believe that they were still fighting this fight.For me, it was one of my first opportunities to participate in the struggle for choice that so many women before me have faced. I didn’t know exactly what to expect from the hearing, but I felt certain of my own anger.These bills are dangerous—they threaten to not only endanger women’s lives across the state, but also fortify the growing social apparatus designed to manage and control women. The energy of the room was palpable. The hearing began, and almost immediately, it became clear that there would be maneuvering to push the bills through quickly.Testimony began, and after the first few speakers emotions began to rise throughout the room. Clapping and encouragement for some speakers erupted spontaneously and was promptly struck down by the chairwoman’s gavel.The chair's attempts to enforce the appearance of an everyday session was incredibly frustrating. Rarely have I ever felt so powerless. Facing such an immediate threat, how could we be cool and collected?Despite the fact that the bill had only been introduced two days prior and over 50 people were waiting to speak in opposition (including many representative of women’s groups across the state), the meeting was abruptly ended before many had a chance to publically air our concerns.The bills were approved. The committee was quickly adjourned. Those of us in opposition to the bills were left enraged, speechless, or in some cases, in tears. In the video below you can see one woman who had waited to tell her story cry out to the legislators, shouting to be heard. The committee's cold reaction even warranted a post on Rachel Maddow's blog. Emboldened by my frustration, I actually look forward to the weeks ahead. There is no question it will be a fight.With the ACLU of Michigan, its reproductive health allies and all the supporters of women's health on the case, there’s no question in my mind we’ve got as good of chance as any to convince the legislature not to approve these bills. But it’s becoming clear we’ll need all the help we can get.By Arielle Tolman, ACLU of Michigan Intern 

It seems that Michigan politicians are hell-bent on making the cliché “when the country catches a cold, Michigan gets pneumonia” a reality. For proof, look no further than the more than 50 pages that make up a three-bill package: HB 5711, HB 5712, HB 5713. This legislative behemoth is on a fast track in our State House of Representatives, and will make safe abortion services virtually inaccessible to Michigan women. While recently we’ve seen Virginia require abortion providers to follow unnecessary and burdensome regulations, Oklahoma ban safe, evidence-based uses of medications to perform early, non surgical abortions, and Georgia and Arizona ban abortions during a time in pregnancy when a woman might find out something has gone seriously wrong, Michigan politicians are attempting to do all three – and more – with one vote. This sweeping and unprecedented assault on women endangers nearly all aspects of reproductive health care by trying to shut down health centers that provide abortion services. Doctors have come out against this legislation in droves because they know that medicine, not politics, should dictate how they treat their patients. Denying women access to basic health care is not only offensive and wrong, it is out of touch. This year, people in Michigan and all over the country, have made it clear that we don’t want politicians restricting access to woman’s health care. But politicians in Michigan haven’t gotten the message. They seem more determined than ever to interfere with private medical decisions. Let the governor know: we cannot let these extremists succeed. By Kary Moss, Executive Director

Last Thursday, Republican Representative Bruce Rendon introduced HB 5711, a piece of legislation that takes every attack on women's health in Michigan and combines them into the greatest assault on reproductive rights in Michigan history.This dangerous attack is moving rapidly and is scheduled to go before the House Committee on Health Policy tomorrow at 9 am.These bills endanger nearly all aspects of reproductive health care by targeting doctors and creating expensive regulations in the hopes of shutting down health centers that provide abortion services. Here’s a breakdown of just what this bill includes:Requiring politics, not medicine, in the examination roomJust like the coercive abortion act that we've talked about before, HB 5711 would require that doctors question women for evidence that they are being coerced into having an abortion.Though supporters claim this bill would protect women, it offers no protection to women coerced into continuing an unwanted pregnancy. It would also institute mandatory “coercion screenings” for all abortion-seeking women, creating another step in the already lengthy process of obtaining an abortion in Michigan.Preventing women in rural areas from accessing careConsidering that 83% of Michigan counties have no abortion providers, it is essential that doctors are able to prescribe abortion drugs through a telephone consultation. Studies have shown that the practice of using telemedicine is safe, effective, and often the best choice for women living in rural areas far from health care providers. However, HB 5711 would require a physician’s presence for abortions via the use of prescription drugs, regardless that such travel and time away from a job is impossible for women already in dire economic circumstances.Burdening abortion providers with new and expensive regulationsAnti-choice legislation often attempts to ensure that abortion care providers lose their licenses and for clinics to be shut down by creating costly, unnecessary and cumbersome rules and regulations. HB 5711 includes several such regulations including:

The other night I attended the West Michigan Alternative Prom, sponsored by Fountain Street Church. As I walked into the gym, I saw a group of diligent young folks sitting around the table, talking and laughing, having just finished decorating for the prom.I tottered to the kitchen balancing my cake-donation, and my ACLU literature in my hands and thought how fun the evening would be for everyone. Who doesn't like a prom?I attended the chaperone meeting where we discussed safety, our assigned stations, and different responsibilities for the night. And then I took my place behind my ACLU table and watched the students arrive.As they arrived in their gowns and suits, I became aware of a slowly creeping realization. This isn’t just some cute, rainbow-decorated event. This is some serious stuff.There were some issues outside that evening – kids coming by, harassing the LGBT kids. A team of security guards were there, donating their evening to keeping these kids safe. I was struck that even a sweet and innocent prom celebration was marked with an awareness of the bigotry these kids face every day. I realized that although I was just lending support for the evening, these kids are doing what so many busy, stressed, self-absorbed adults don’t have the courage to do.They are living lives of authenticity, right here in Grand Rapids, Michigan. They are taking a stand for believing in the legitimacy of who they are and living it out, despite a world full of hatred and discrimination.The kids inside spent the rest of the night dancing their hearts out, enjoying themselves. I drove off to dinner with friends and talked about my evening, and lessons (hopefully) learned.

I never thought I'd have an opportunity to see the U.S. Supreme Court hear arguments in Washington D.C.Yet, instead of thinking of what an honor it was or how much history that room had seen, I couldn't stop thinking of the lives of young men and women back in Michigan. Young people whose lives hang in the balance, lives that may not have another chance. I had an opportunity to attend the U.S. Supreme Court as the Justices heard oral arguments in two cases that will decide the future of life in prison without the possibility of parole sentences for juveniles. The courtroom was packed and many had camped out the night before in order for an opportunity to hear Bryan Stevenson, from the Equal Justice Initiative, plead the case for eliminating the practice of sending young offfenders to prison for the rest of their lives with no hope of rehabilitation or freedom.I can still feel the electricity in the room, the sense that this was an historic moment. If the justices are convinced by Stevenson’s arguments in Miller v. Hobbs and Jackson v. Alabama, the futures of more than 2,600 individuals currently serving juvenile life without parole, or JLWOP, sentences could change decidedly. This may be the last time they have such a promising hope of a future where their growth, maturity and individual circumstances matter.Critics of the movement to end JLWOP caution that if you take a life, you should be held accountable. True. In recent weeks, I've attended rallies for the movement to get justice for Trayvon Martin, the Florida teen who was gunned down for being black in the wrong neighborhood at the wrong time. No one can deny that there is nothing more brutal than murder, and there nothing more precious than life.Yet the science is clear, and points to the reality that children lack the ability to reason and fully understand the consequences of their actions. Holding a teen who could not completely understand what he was doing accountable for his actions doesn't demand the same punishment as an adult offender. In fact, these punishments exacerbate already tragic situations. Victims and their families suffer shattering loss, and so do young offenders and everyone who loves them... and so do you and I.Society bears the cost of proving food, shelter and health care for these teens for long years of their prison sentence. For the 30, 40, 50 or more years they sit in prison waiting to die, millions are spent that could have gone to education and perhaps saving another troubled child from falling into crime.Like most people from Michigan, I cringe each time I hear someone announce the rankings of "worst states," fearing that we will be included. You might be shocked to hear that Michigan ranks Number 2 in the nation, behind only Pennsylvania, when it comes to the number of children we have sent to prison for the remainder of their lives. There are currently 359 inmates serving JLWOP sentences in our state's prisons.The justices are expected to render a decision by the end of June. In court, the argument was made that the unique legal status of children should not be ignored in a criminal context when it is recognized and protected in all other areas of law. This means that if we recognize that children don't have the mental capacity to drive, vote or drink then we can't act like they are the same as adults just because they've committed a crime. Stevenson also argued that mandatory sentences of life in prison amount to cruel and unusual punishment when applied to children.Here in Michigan, we will continue ratcheting up our advocacy efforts aimed at changing our state’s JLWOP sentencing laws while we wait for the Supreme Court's decision. It is time Michigan changes its approach to sentencing children.We need people who think that children deserve a second chance. Please contact us to join our effort to end JLWOP sentencing by emailing us at JLWOP@aclumich.org 

While visiting a cousin, Luis Valdez and his mother were assaulted and illegally arrested for no reason other than the color of their skin.One of the officers even told Luis, an American citizen, that he had no rights.From Arizona to Michigan, innocent people are being intimidated, harassed and illegally detained based on nothing more than how they look or the sound of their accent.Racial profiling is not only unfair and un-American, it distracts police from solving crimes with real facts and evidence.So why is Michigan Attorney General Bill Schuette urging the U.S. Supreme Court to make racial profiling a legally-acceptable police practice?As our state's principal legal officer, the Attorney General should know that racial profiling is bad news for Michigan. Allowing officers to harass people based on stereotypes has a devastating impact not only on innocent families but on our state’s economy and our police departments’ ability to fight crime.Permitting racial profiling would mean that a simple family visit or a run to the grocery store could turn into a trip to jail for innocent people. This is not the Michigan that you or I want to live in.Fairness and equality are the most fundamental values we share as Americans. There's nothing fair or equal about arresting citizens and trampling on their rights because of the color of their skin or their ethnicity.That’s why with your help, the ACLU of Michigan is fighting discriminatory laws and biased police practices across the state, representing people like Luis and his mother.Attorney General Schuette thinks it’s alright for innocent people to be harassed, intimidated and arrested for no reason other than who they are.Learn more about issues you care about and take action: become a member, subscribe to our email action alerts, follow us on Twitter, and like us on Facebook. 

What made police handcuff and assault a young man and his mother, although they'd committed no crime? Does Wal-Mart think that corporations don't have to follow state law? What appalling practice did our supporters and a coalition of human and civil rights group bring to an end in Michigan? Michigan