FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
News from Progress Michigan
May 3, 2022
Contact: Lonnie Scott, lonnie@progressmichigan.org
Now Is the Time to Step Up and Protect Abortion Access
Leaked opinion indicates Roe will fall, leaving Michiganders with an urgent need to secure access at the state level
MICHIGAN – The following response to the leaked Supreme Court opinion indicating Roe v. Wade will likely be overturned can be attributed to Lonnie Scott, executive director of Progress Michigan:
“Like all Michiganders who care about human rights and bodily autonomy, I’m extremely concerned about Judge Alito’s draft opinion, and furious on behalf of all the people who may be affected by the court’s reckless attack on their ability to get the care they need. One thing I want to make extremely clear is that this leak is not a final decision. Roe v. Wade has not been overturned, abortion is still legal as of today, and patients with upcoming appointments or who plan to seek abortion care soon can and should get the care they need.
“The right to decide if you will or won’t give birth is utterly fundamental and this attack on that right from extremists on the Court shows the need for us to elect people who recognize that right. In Michigan, we have a pre-Roe abortion ban that will take effect if Roe is struck down and make abortion care a felony offense. We need to fight back, and I am inspired daily by the people already working hard to protect abortion access. That includes abortion funds who work directly with affected people to help them get care. It also includes advocates like Gov. Whitmer, who is working to overturn the pre-Roe ban at the State Supreme Court, Attorney General Dana Nessel, who has vowed not to enforce the pre-Roe ban, the Democratic lawmakers who have reintroduced the Reproductive Health Act, and statewide organizations working to codify reproductive freedom in our state constitution.
“Even if Roe is overturned, this fight is far from over. Whether a person opts to manage their own abortion with the help of abortion medication or seek care in a clinical setting, every Michigander has the human right to get an abortion if and when they need one. Our communities are counting on us. It’s more important than ever for folks to get engaged in state and local politics and fight like lives are on the line – because they are.”
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