Partial-birth abortion ban updates

The Supreme Court of the United States ruled in April of 2007 that a federal law which bans partial-birth abortion was constitutional. The Partial-Birth Abortion Ban Act of 2003 was passed with bipartisan support in the U.S. House of Representatives and the U.S. Senate before being signed by President Bush. It was challenged in court and had been making its way through the courts for the last number of years. Over the years, numerous experts have testified this method of ending the lives of children who are more born than unborn is not needed to preserve a woman's life or health

In June of 2007, the Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals handed down a ruling which declared Michigan's Legal Birth Definition Act unconstitutional. Right to Life of Michigan staff will be evaluating the decision and seeking counsel from legal experts including our prolife Attorney General Mike Cox. The facts are clear. This abortion procedure is not needed according to doctors, not wanted by the American people and not supported by lawmakers.

The Legal Birth Definition Act was designed to end partial-birth abortion in Michigan by declaring legal birth and the commencement of legal rights occur when any part of the living child is outside of the mother. This citizen-initiated legislation passed overwhelmingly with bipartisan support in both the Michigan House and Senate after more than 460,000 Michigan voters signed a petition to override Governor Jennifer Granholm's veto. With the help of prolife legislation, the number of abortions performed in Michigan has dropped by nearly 50 percent in the last 18 years.

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