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Pro-Life Omnibus bill passes Michigan Senate after passage in House last June

Dec 13, 2012

By Dave Andrusko

Michigan state Sen. Rick Jones

A package of pro-life measures dubbed the “pro-life bus” passed the Michigan Senate yesterday on a vote of 27 to 10. However because there are minor changes from the House version, H.B. 5711 will go back to the House for a concurring vote (which is a formality) and then to Gov. Rick Snyder for his signature.

HB 5711 is a combination of five previously introduced bills rolled into a single, omnibus bill. The bill amends the Michigan Public Health Code to bring about long overdue reforms to the state’s abortion industry.

According to Right to Life of Michigan, HR 5711 would

* 1. Require all surgical abortion clinics to be licensed and inspected by the state. [Amazing as it is to believe, only four of the 32 abortion clinics in Michigan are licensed, which means the other 28 are rarely, if ever inspected by state officials for basic health and safety requirements.]

* 2. Require abortion clinics to screen women to determine if they are being coerced into the abortion.

* 3. Prohibit prescribing and dispensing RU-486 abortion pills via Internet webcam connections.

* 4. Require the humane disposition of the bodies of aborted babies.

* 5. Makes it a crime and establishes penalties for those who coerce women into an abortion.  

Naturally, pro-abortionists argued the bill is merely the latest phase of the “war on women.” In an email to supporters, Meghan Groen, government relations director of Planned Parenthood Advocates of Michigan, wrote, “House Bill 5711 is vague, poorly written and will have incredibly serious ramifications for women,” adding, “This legislation undermines women’s access to health care and gives politicians, not doctors, control over personal medical decisions  

State Sen. Rebekah Warren, who drew national attention for her over-the-top comments made in June, chimed in that HB 5711 “ is a shameless, backdoor attempt to shut down reproductive health care clinics in this state and make it impossible for women to access safe and legal care.”

Of course the bill does nothing of the sort. But what the measure does do is important.

“I am gratified that our Michigan legislators want to protect women through this legislation which will prevent women from being coerced into an abortion and will finally require all Michigan abortion facilities to at least be inspected,” Barbara Listing, President of Right to Life of Michigan, told NRL News Today.

“Women want clinics to be licensed, inspected and safe,” said Sen. Rick Jones, R-Grand Ledge. “It will not stop abortions in the state of Michigan, but it will make them a heckuva lot safer.”

Rebecca Mastee, a Michigan Catholic Conference policy advocate, said, “It is regrettable for a woman to seek an abortion; the least that can be done is to make sure abortion facilities in Michigan are clean and meet basic standards of care, and that’s what this legislation accomplishes.”

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Categories: Legislation