In Michigan, One Democrat Has Brought Abortion Reforms to a Maddening Halt
After winning a majority last election, Michigan Democrats hoped to bring state abortion laws into the 21st century. Rep. Karen Whitsett isn't helping.
AbortionPolitics
Michigan state Rep. Karen Whitsett (D) recently (and annoyingly) voted against multiple bills that sought to repeal abortion regulations in the state, thereby joining a troubling trend of supposedly “pro-choice” politicians looking to curb legislative gains in abortion access. Whitsett, who represents areas of Detroit and Dearborn, voted against the Reproductive Health Act (an 11-bill package) in committee last week, wielding her one vote to potentially upend a major Democratic priority after a decade of Republican rule.
Currently, in Michigan, abortion is legal until viability, but that doesn’t mean later-in-pregnancy abortion is accessible in the state. There’s a 24-hour waiting period, necessitating at least two appointments for patients; private insurance and state Medicaid dollars are largely banned from paying for the procedure; and for those under 18, you either need parental permission or to obtain judicial bypass through the courts.
The Reproductive Health Act—the 11-bill package Whitsett voted against—will, among other things:
- Eliminate abortion criminalization laws still on the books (there are still manslaughter penalties in connection with abortion)
- Repeal waiting periods before abortion
- Allow universities to make referrals to abortion clinics for students
- Allow state Medicaid funds to pay for abortion care
One of Whitsett’s sticking points is the repealing of the state’s 24-hour waiting period before an abortion, with Whitsett telling Axios Detroit that she herself has gone through the waiting period. “To attack me? Someone who’s actually been through the 24-hour waiting process to receive the procedure — I’m the person preventing this?” the state representative said. “I just need to know why they feel like that safeguard should be repealed.”