Last month, Michigan voters approved Proposition 3, a constitutional amendment that, among other things, guarantees a right to abortion for any reason through all nine months of pregnancy.
Governor Gretchen Whitmer (D), who recently vetoed funding to help pregnant and parenting moms in need, has also signed an executive order instructing all state agencies under her command to implement procedures to accomplish the amendment's intent. The directive will ensure they "provide the maximum protection possible for the fundamental right to reproductive freedom enshrined in the Michigan Constitution," Whitmer's office said in a press release.
It will go into effect on Christmas Eve.
"The dark reality is our governor is focused on ensuring the full force of the state government and [that] each agency [uses] their powers to increase abortion in our state," laments Anna Visser of Right to Life of Michigan.
She says the order was unnecessary because the new amendment already requires full implementation. But despite the governor's efforts, the state's pro-life movement will not be silenced.
"We're going to continue to monitor this and see how this will affect our existing pro-life laws," Visser tells AFN. "We know that if you read the language of the amendment, it will repeal most, if not all, of our pro-life laws that we currently have that protect the unborn."
Pro-lifers' game plan so far is to hit the streets and sidewalks outside child termination centers to encourage the abortion-minded pregnant women to opt instead for the resources that are available to help them carry their babies to term and support them afterward.
