After over 50 years of legal abortion in America, the U.S. Supreme Court has overturned Roe v. Wade. In Michigan, a 1931 law on the books would make the procedure a felony. Anticipating the federal ruling, Governor Gretchen Whitmer filed a lawsuit in April 2022 in hopes that Michigan's Supreme Court declares abortion rights are protected by the state Constitution.
Below, you can find the latest stories about what the end of Roe v. Wade means legally, politically, and medically for Michiganders.
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State Court of Claims Judge Elizabeth Gleicher ruled Wednesday that the Michigan Constitution’s due process clause is broad enough to include a woman’s right to an abortion.
Jodi Westrick
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Michigan Radio
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Legal Questions
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Jodi Westrick/Michigan RadioThe Michigan Court of Claims granted preliminary injunction in a lawsuit filed by Planned Parenthood of Michigan. The injunction means the state’s 1931 abortion ban would not be enforced immediately if Roe v. Wade is overturned. -
Jodi Westrick/Michigan RadioA judge says Michigan’s 90-year-old abortion law can’t be enforced until courts decide if banning abortion is constitutional.
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Michigan RadioGovernor Gretchen Whitmer filed a lawsuit Thursday challenging the state’s abortion ban that would take effect if Roe v. Wade is overturned by the U.S. Supreme Court.
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Dee DwyerSeven Michigan county prosecutors have said publicly that they won’t prosecute abortion cases, and they've signed onto Governor Whitmer's effort to have the Michigan Supreme Court overturn that law.
Medical Questions
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Erik McGregor/LightRocket via Getty ImagesMany women in the state had no idea that if Roe goes, a 1931 law making abortion a felony would spring into effect.
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Traci Hahn/trac1 - stock.adobe.com/129738451Michigan's law criminalizing abortion would only allow exceptions to "preserve the life" of the woman. But that's a dangerously ambiguous term, medical experts say.
Read More
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A Lions, Wolverines, and Spartans football roundup, ghost town hunting in the Upper Peninsula, comparing Ohio's new reproductive rights to Michigan's and using words of wonder in discourse. -
People have the right to an abortion in Michigan. But how easy is it to actually access one?
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The Michigan legislature adjourned early this year. We talked about why the legislature made this decision, what they accomplished this year, and what we can expect when the session resumes.
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The lawsuit, filed one year after Michigan voters overwhelmingly passed a constitutional amendment protecting abortion rights, argues that amendment violates the U.S. Constitution.
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Abortion advocates say changing regulations for clinics that perform abortions would make it easier for patients, especially in rural areas, to access abortions. But opponents say it would put patients in danger by opening the door for unsafe clinics. Here’s what the medical and scientific evidence actually says.
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It would repeal several laws and state rules dealing with abortion.
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Democratic leaders in Lansing dropped a key part of the Reproductive Health Act on Tuesday: Medicaid coverage for abortions. But at least one Democrat says that's still not enough.
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A key Democratic lawmaker says she won’t support legislation to repeal many abortion restrictions on the books in Michigan.
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Deadline day for the United Auto Workers, what the end of pandemic relief funds could mean for child care centers, and a package of bills to make abortion care more accessible.
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Every day, Michigan abortion patients are turned away at their appointments because there's a problem with their state-mandated paperwork. Legislation in Lansing would remove those requirements.
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Issue 1 in Ohio's special election would require a 60% majority in future ballot measures. It could be a roadblock for a November measure: access to abortion care.
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Michigan Radio's Kate Wells discusses the surge in out-of-state patients coming to Michigan for abortions.
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But while abortions increased in states like Michigan, the nation saw a cumulative 25,000 fewer abortions in the nine months since the court’s decision.
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For decades, the politics around abortion were pretty well set. Then came the Supreme Court's Dobbs decision. It was a political earthquake, and in many ways the ground is still shaking.
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A year after the court did away with the right to an abortion, 57% say they oppose the decision, an NPR/PBS NewsHour/Marist poll finds. They're also in favor of continuing affirmative action programs.
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The latest Gallup poll also finds increased political polarization. Some 60% of Democrats said abortion should be legal under any circumstances, compared with 8% of Republicans.
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Among other things, the expansion of the law would protect people who’ve had abortions from being denied a job, a promotion, or housing.
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There are a variety of rulings from courts in other states regarding the drug mifepristone. The sometimes-competing decisions have created uncertainty surrounding the continued availability of the drug from suppliers. It’s expected the final call will be made by the U.S. Supreme Court.
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Patients seeking abortions in Michigan can still get the abortion pill — at least, for now.
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The political roundtable discusses the repeal of the state’s 1931 abortion law, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis’ visit to Michigan, and the charges against a former Republican Speaker of the House.
