Chippewa County Right to Life is asking fellow Michigan residents to take a closer look at Proposal 22-3: Right to Reproductive Freedom before casting their ballots on Nov. 8.
“We think it's a very poorly written piece of legislation, and it will make Michigan the most liberal abortion state in the country if approved,” Chippewa County Right to Life supporter Nancy Cline said.
Around 35 people joined Cline at the corner of Ashmun Street and Portage Avenue Saturday to speak to the public. The group also held a prayer chain yesterday.
“I don't think we want our children or teens to get free birth control at school without telling their parents,” said Cline. “I don't think we want our children to be counselled toward abortion at school clinics without parents ever being informed.”
According to Michigan Catholic Conference, the amendment would allow children to undergo abortion or sterilizing transgender procedures without parental consent, as well as eliminate the state’s partial-birth abortion ban and late-term abortion ban.
Cline referenced a total of 25 current Michigan state laws the proposal would revoke.
Michigan Catholic Conference offers the following examples:
- Increased penalties for later term abortions when babies are fully formed.
- Law requiring babies born alive during an abortion be protected and cared for.
- Conscience rights of hospitals and doctors who decline to take unborn human life.
- Ban on taxpayer-funded Medicaid dollars to pay for abortions.
- Ban on school employees from helping a child obtain an abortion.
- Informed consent provisions for an abortion, such as a 24-hour waiting period, information on fetal development and abortion procedures, and ultrasound viewing.
- Respectful disposal of fetal remains.
“This is a state constitutional amendment,” said First Free Methodist Church Pastor Willard Hotchkiss. “People don’t realize how significant of a vote this is. The issue is that it takes away from parental rights. We will only see a snippet of information on the ballot, not the entire amendment.”
In disagreement with right-to-life is district 107 state representative democratic candidate Jodi Decker, who fully supports Proposal 3.
“I don't believe any politician should tell a woman how she will live the rest of her life,” said Decker. "Besides the abortion part of it, it will protect the right to contraceptives. It stops doctors from being charged with a felony and preserves healthcare for women having a miscarriage. It basically gives a woman the right to decide what her life will look like.”
Decker called out right to life groups for discriminating against women.
“The ban on abortions didn't go after men for impregnating a woman,” she said. “It didn't dole out mandatory child support. It is one sided and that makes it discriminatory. If you don't believe in abortion, you don't need to have one. Nobody would ever force that on someone. Why should anyone force a woman to give birth?”
Decker also accused the ‘Pro-life’ party of opposing child care funding and Medicaid expansions.
“They don't want to seriously help the people that this would affect,” she said. “It is an economic power to hold over women as well. I've been a single mother, I still am. My kids are grown now, but when they were younger, I had to struggle to find sitters to be able to go to work. Kids aren't free. Diapers and clothes and all the equipment babies need aren't cheap. Forcing a person to give birth is also forcing them to stay in poverty in most cases.”
Decker pointed to the children already in the foster care system, just hoping for a decent home.
“Our CPS is already overburdened,” said Decker. “The GOP wants to then add more stress to that system? We have enough kids in the system now. We don't need to add to it just because someone else's religious beliefs don't jive. Religion should have no part of the legislative system.”
To hear more from Decker, find her at the Nationwide Rally for Reproductive Rights at 11 a.m. Saturday, Oct. 8 at Chippewa County Courthouse.
For more information and clarification on Proposal 22-3: Right to Reproductive Freedom, read all about the Citizens Research Council of Michigan's analysis here.
