If hell hath no fury like a woman scorned, then imposing a legislative mandate requiring Michigan residents with a vagina to purchase supplemental insurance to protect their constitutional rights could develop into quite a shit-storm.
In the aftermath of the Michigan Legislature’s circumvention of the democratic process — after voting to prevent insurance carriers from providing abortion coverage as part of standard policies — outraged Democrats and pro-choice advocates are vowing that the Republican overreach will cost them in the 2014 mid-term elections.
Among other remedies, Democrats and abortion rights leaders are considering a ballot drive to repeal or override the law. If enough signatures are collected, the statewide vote would run concurrent with legislative elections in November 2014, keeping the issue fresh for the next 11 months.
The male-dominated Legislature held no committee hearings on the Michigan Right to Life-driven bill that prevents insurance carriers from offering coverage for any elective abortions, save for an imminent threat to the life of the mother. So, for example, if your daughter was raped or a victim of incest and subsequently became pregnant -— that’s just too bad for her.
Many Democrats implored their GOP colleagues to eschew Tea Party and other right-wing threats and sidestep the initiative to let voters approve or reject it at the ballot box. Those pleas were disregarded.
Gov. Rick Snyder vetoed similar legislation in 2012, saying it interfered with the private marketplace and rightly claiming its inappropriateness in telling a rape victim she would need to purchase additional insurance to cover termination of her pregnancy.
