Michigan Democrats want to ease access to abortion. But one Democrat is saying no

October 10, 2023 5:00 AM ET
Michigan Radio
By Kate Wells

This story was produced in partnership with KFF Health News.

Since the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade, patients seeking abortions have been coming to Michigan in record numbers from around the country. Voters passed Proposition 3 last November, enshrining abortion rights in the state's constitution.

But it can still be difficult to access abortion care in Michigan, and even patients who have secured appointments are regularly turned away, according to doctors. That's because of restrictions that are still on the books in Michigan, including an online consent form that has to be printed and signed 24 hours before the appointment begins.

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This fall, Democrats in Michigan pledged to address several of the remaining regulations. They introduced the Reproductive Health Act. The wide-ranging legislation would repeal the 24-hour mandatory waiting period, get rid of the informed consent form, allow Medicaid to cover abortions for low-income patients, and make it easier for private insurance to cover abortions. It would also lift regulations on abortion clinics that advocates say are unnecessary and burdensome.

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Then, on September 20, State Representative Karen Whitsett stunned her own party: she cast the lone Democratic "no" vote in the House of Representatives health policy committee. The bills still passed out of committee, but Democrats' majority in the state house is so slim that they can't afford to lose a single vote.