What Would Another Trump Presidency Mean for Abortion In Michigan
Abortion in Michigan is legal thanks to the passing of the Reproductive Freedom for All Amendment (RFFA), but that doesn’t mean our abortion clinics are safe from anti-choice politicians. Conservatives have been attempting to walk back their language around reproductive rights. You may hear them claim to want a “compromise,” or “limit.” Trump himself has called for a national fifteen week abortion ban under the guise of it being a “compromise.” Make no mistake – politicians using these words are doing so to hide what they really want: a national ban on abortion. A ban Trump would almost certainly sign into law.
In the event of a national abortion ban, even our right to abortion in Michigan could be on the line. Abortion clinics could be forced to comply with a federal anti-choice agenda instead of the will of Michigan’s voters.
Meanwhile, even at the local level, an anti-abortion majority could put our rights at risk. Despite the RFFA, a hostile legislature could still pass restrictions on abortion in Michigan that would then need to be challenged in court. This is why we must remain diligent in casting our votes for candidates who are pro-choice at ALL levels of government.
What About the Supreme Court?
There are two cases regarding abortion before the Supreme Court this session. The first regards medication abortion, or the abortion pill. On June 13th 2024 the court ruled that access to medication abortion will remain unchanged. Northland Family Planning will continue to provide the abortion pill at all three of our metro Detroit abortion clinics.
The second case regards the Emergency Medical Treatment and Labor Act (EMTALA), which requires hospitals to provide life saving medical care – including abortions. Since the overturning of Roe V. Wade, states like Idaho have passed an extreme, total abortion ban and are arguing that they shouldn’t have to comply with federal law (EMTALA) to provide LIFESAVING emergency abortion care to save a pregnant person’s life. They want their state law to override federal law.
It is less clear in this case if the Supreme Court will rule to uphold current EMTALA standards or not. Should they rule in favor of Idaho, states would be allowed to pass total bans on abortion – not even allowing exceptions to save the life of the mother. This is why we must choose our local representatives diligently. If an anti-abortion majority overtook the Michigan legislature, they could pass a ban on medically necessary abortions. This would then be the law until challenged in court under the RFFA.
We will know the Supreme Court’s decision on both cases by July.
It is more critical than ever that we pay close attention to our representatives’ words and actions. Attacks on abortion care, from medical abortion to emergency care, are our new reality since SCOTUS overturned Roe. Our only means of combating these attacks are by staying informed, organizing, and voting!