OAKLAND COUNTY, MI (WKZO AM/FM) — Access to legal abortion in Michigan will remain in place for now. This follows the ruling that came from Oakland County Circuit Court Judge Jacob Cunningham on Friday morning, August 19.
He ruled that Michigan’s criminal abortion statute, which was made law in 1931, could not be enforced by 13 county prosecutors with abortion clinics in their jurisdictions.
In his ruling, Cunningham described the 91-year-old ban as “dangerous and chilling to our state’s population of child-bearing people and the medical professionals who care for them.”
The law would ban nearly all abortions, with an exception for cases that would save the life of the mother, but would not create exceptions for pregnancy caused by rape or incest.
Governor Gretchen Whitmer issued the following statement after the entering of a preliminary injunction against enforcement of Michigan’s 931 abortion law.
“I am grateful for this ruling that will protect women and ensure nurses and doctors can keep caring for their patients without fear of prosecution. I am particularly grateful to Attorney General Dana Nessel and her team for their work on behalf of the state.
“The lack of legal clarity about abortion in Michigan has already caused far too much confusion for women who deserve certainty about their health care, and hardworking medical providers who should be able to do their jobs without worrying about being thrown behind bars. Once, over the course of a single day, abortion was legal in the morning, illegal around lunch time, and legal in the evening. We cannot have this kind of whiplash about something as fundamental as a woman’s right to control her own body. Michigan women are understandably scared and angry, and they deserve better than being treated as second class citizens.”
“While today is welcome news, my team and I will remain vigilant in protecting reproductive freedom. The sad reality is that a number of leaders in the state are actively looking for ways to make sure Michigan’s draconian 1931 law, which bans abortion for all women, doesn’t include exceptions for rape or incest, and criminalizes nurses and doctors who offer reproductive care, is the law of the land. I am proud of my team today, but our work continues.”
“Back in April, I filed a lawsuit and asked the Michigan Supreme Court to determine if abortion is constitutionally protected in Michigan. While we wait for the Supreme Court to rule, I will continue using every tool in my toolbox to fight like hell for women and health care providers.”
