Right to Life of Michigan Responds to Governor Whitmer’s and Lieutenant Governor Gilchrist’s Recent Comments Aimed at the Organization

“The Governor and Lieutenant Governor are peddling an election year phantom threat to IVF, prenatal care and abortion in a desperate attempt to scare voters,” stated Amber Roseboom.

GRAND RAPIDS, MI – Today, Right to Life of Michigan responded to recent statements from Governor Gretchen Whitmer and Lieutenant Governor Garlin Gilchrist erroneously claiming the organization poses a threat to reproductive services broadly in the state, including IVF and prenatal care.

“The Governor and Lieutenant Governor are peddling an election year phantom threat to IVF, prenatal care and abortion in a desperate attempt to scare voters. IVF has been operating in Michigan since the 70s. There is no threat to it, nor has there been. And there is absolutely no parallel in Michigan to Alabama’s recent, isolated issue. Not one. Prenatal care also has never been at risk in Michigan. They know full well that abortion is now secured in more than a dozen places in state law, beyond Proposal 3 now in our state constitution,” stated Amber Roseboom, President, Right to Life of Michigan.

A legal challenge from Right to Life of Michigan and 15 other plaintiffs, including physicians and parents, is focused on the overreach of Proposal 3 that puts Michigan families at risk and endangers women. It has no impact on IVF, prenatal care or the legality of abortion in Michigan. Alternatively, the recent Northland Family Planning Centers’ lawsuit, which claims informed consent is now unconstitutional under Proposal 3, demonstrates the immediate threat to women’s health in the state and the need for action.

Roseboom continued, “Women deserve the facts, not desperate, election year scare tactics. At stake now are common-sense, long-standing protections for women, parents and children. Abortion-only Democrats are intent on removing parental consent for a minor seeking an abortion and denying a woman’s right to know about the risks associated with abortion by removing informed consent.”

Last fall, Governor Whitmer and her allies in our state legislature removed long-standing, basic health and safety standards for abortion clinics to appease the big money abortion-only special interests that fund their campaigns. Parental consent, informed consent and abortion clinic health and safety regulation are supported by the overwhelming majority of Michigan voters.

Right to Life of Michigan has a long record of supporting prenatal and pregnancy care. The organization does not have a position on IVF.

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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 pro-life 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.

This press release was originally posted on March 25, 2024.