LANSING, Mich. – Michigan voters will decide the future of abortion care in November, but until then there are still multiple court cases playing out.
Abortion remains a top issue for voters and with less than 50 days to the election, there are still a lot of moving parts. On Thursday, a group representing 514 doctors from around Michigan filed in support of a lawsuit from Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer in the Michigan Supreme Court.
“This can’t wait for us to wait and see what happens in November,” Dr. Farhan Bhatti with the Committee to Proect Healthcare in Michigan said.
Whitmer is asking the state’s supreme court justices to rule the 1931 ban is unconstitutional. So far, the supreme court has yet to hear her case. Late last month, an Oakland County judge sided with Whitmer and blocked the ban from being enforced.
Read: Poll: How Michigan voters feel about abortion, overturning Roe, possible ballot proposal
Michigan’s 1931 abortion ban was ruled unconstitutional by the Court of Claims just a few weeks ago, but that was in a separate case and will likely be appealed.
Outside of the courtroom abortion remains a top motivating issue for voters with just six weeks until the midterm elections. Abortion is now tied with inflation as the top issue for voters in a recent poll done by the Detroit Free Press. Around 64% of Michigan voters plan to vote yes.
“I think if we can get the message out that this is not mainstream, this is not restoring Roe. In fact, this is very extreme measure that goes well beyond abortion and well beyond what Michiganders want If people can hear that message, they will go to the polls and vote no on Proposal 3,” Genevieve Marnon with Right to Life Michigan said.
Local 4 did reach out to the group behind the ballot measure but did not get a comment back. The next actual court date for Whitmer’s case is set for Nov. 21.
Read: Groups say Michigan abortion amendment invalidates nearly 50 laws -- here’s what experts are saying