LANSING — Saying, “We cannot stand idly by as legislators show blatant disregard for federal precedent. Outlawing abortion will not prevent abortions – it only prevents access to safe abortions,” Attorney General Dana Nessel announced her office had joined with 24 other State Attorneys General in urging the U.S. Supreme Court to uphold its precedents protecting a woman’s right to decide before viability whether to carry a pregnancy to term.
The amicus brief was filed in response to Mississippi’s pre-viability abortion ban which is in direct conflict with Roe v. Wade, which has been the law of land for nearly fifty years. The law comes at a time when anti-choice activists are seeking to challenge Roe due to the elevation of Amy Coney Barret to the U.S. Supreme Court.
In Michigan, the overturning of Roe would lead to the criminalization of abortion as a law on the books from the 1930s would no longer be invalidated by the Court. In a statement supporting the brief, Governor Whitmer said, “Attorney General Nessel and I have always stood with those fighting for their right to choose, and we will not stop now. While other states pursue extreme bans on abortion that put lives at risk and criminalize healthcare providers for doing their jobs, we will put Michiganders first and ensure everyone’s fundamental rights are protected. Together, we will face down these insidious attacks on reproductive freedoms.”
The other Attorneys General joining the brief are from California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Illinois, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, Wisconsin, the District of Columbia.
