Statement by Right to Life of Michigan President Amber Roseboom on Reckless Overturn of Informed Consent, Long-Standing Medical Safeguard for Women Considering an Abortion Procedure

The Michigan Court of Claims ill-fated ruling is an immediate threat to the health and safety of women across our state. The overturn of informed consent for women considering an abortion flies in the face of both common-sense medical practice and the democratic process.

Abortion is the only medical procedure of its kind in which the patient now is expected to go in blind. There is no question that women are at greater risk when they enter an abortion clinic in Michigan today than they were even a few years ago.

As a result of this dangerous ruling and disregard for patients’ rights, women in Michigan are no longer guaranteed access to important facts related to abortion. The informed consent and 24-hour waiting period law had been in place for more than 30 years, providing women seeking an abortion with medically accurate information, including common risks associated with the procedure.

The timing of this decision could not be more concerning, as the state faces an unprecedented spike in serious complications from abortion, up 38% in just one year. (Michigan Department of Health and Human Services, Abortion Report. 2024)

Unable to gain the votes needed to overturn the 24-hour waiting period and informed consent in the state legislature, activist abortion providers appealed to the ideologically driven courts to strip these long-standing, bipartisan protections. Unsurprisingly, an overwhelming majority of voters (66%) support the 24-hour waiting period and informed consent law. (Marketing Resource Group (MRG) conducted a poll of registered voters in the state of Michigan, April 8 – 11, 2024 (614 Sample/MOE 4%.)

Right to Life of Michigan (RLM) is the state’s oldest and largest non-profit organization dedicated to advocating a choice for life for the youngest and oldest members of our human family. Since our founding in 1972, we have remained steadfast in our mission to educate the public on life issues, support legal protections for women’s health, the elderly, disabled and unborn children and support prolife candidates. RLM has 80 affiliates across the state and more than 282,550 members. The organization achieved 172 electoral victories in 2022 alone. With more than 50 life-affirming protections passed into law, RLM estimates more than 269,633 lives have been saved by just one legal protection. For more information, visit RTL.org.