[Update: Governor Whitmer signed sweeping repeal of the 1931 Abortion law. Read about it here.]
What’s going on in Lansing? Great question! Reporters might have a tough time telling you. Even some freshmen legislators are confused in this mad dash. But we’re on the case, as best we can tell you.
Why is our Michigan Legislature in “smash n’ grab” mode? For many reasons: sheer pent up rage, the excitement of Democrats finally gaining complete government control since 1984, and a sense that they need to get as many things done quickly as possible to prepare for the next election—there’s always another election.
So, we’ve seen many high profile bills on controversial issues get introduced, rushed almost unannounced through Democrat-stacked committees, some testimony forbidden in committees, chronic interrupting of any prolife testimony they allowed, and votes held in a matter of days. We’ve seen COVID-positive legislators take a break from lecturing about stopping the spread on Twitter to show up sick to cast votes, because of their slim vote majority over Republicans. Apparently, they can’t wait a week for any of this.
This frenzy usually happens at the end of the legislative term in the “lame duck session” with unfinished business. But even that has a sense of order. This runaway Legislature is just getting started. Governor Whitmer and her team of angry partisans show no sign of slowing, yet.
Whitmer even signed a bill violating one of her sacred promises (and no, it wasn’t directly about the roads, which are obviously not fixed). So, what? Who cares? Some mild criticism from the Lansing press is worth accepting as the price of their quest to turn Michigan into California overnight.
So far, our older prolife laws on the books have been subject to this railroading, and here’s a list just to keep you straight:
- The House and Senate voted to repeal our 1931 abortion law; not signed yet by Governor Whitmer. They also voted to repeal another law from 1931 to prevent the publishing of homemade abortion recipes.
- The Senate voted to amend the civil rights act to protect abortion the same as childbirth; it would force employers to either give abortion benefits or cut maternity benefits.
- Any amendments to pro-abortion bills to clarify Michigan law and hold them to their Proposal 3 campaign promises have been quickly rejected.
- Two House representatives who said they are prolife voted to repeal the 1931 law, foolishly not understanding it was still “regulating” late-term abortions in Michigan.
Everyone in the state should be outraged at how Michigan government is conducting itself, but unless you are actively telling them about it, they probably won’t hear much from the evening news or the digital pages of Mlive.
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