DETROIT – Protests were held in Detroit in what’s shaping up to be a legal battle over abortion in Michigan.
This all in the fallout from the Supreme Court leak that suggests Roe V. Wade is in jeopardy, an issue that brings out strong emotions on both sides. The potential Supreme Court decision could have major implications in Michigan.
If the Supreme Court does decide to roll back Roe V. Wade, it’ll be up to each state to decide if abortions will be allowed. An NBC analysis found nearly two dozen states and territories would ban abortion, and Michigan is one of them.
Local 4′s Mara MacDonald spoke with Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer.
There is a 1931 law on the book in Michigan that criminalizes abortion. Some county prosecutors like Kym Worthy and Karen McDonald have said they will not prosecute doctors and women under the law, but the law would remain in place.
Whitmer asked the Michigan Supreme Court to strike down the law and Planned Parenthood has its own case in the court of claims.
A coalition of organizations is trying to put abortion on the ballot here in November and is in the process of getting hundreds of thousands of signatures. Michigan’s legislature could repeal the 1931 law, but it is controlled by the GOP and is unlikely to do so.
More: Leaked SCOTUS opinion: A look at the future of abortion in Michigan if Roe is overturned