State of Michigan
Gov. Gretchen Whitmer.
Gov. Gretchen Whitmer on Wednesday issued an executive order preventing the extradition of people who travel to Michigan for an abortion.
The order also protects abortion providers from being extradited to states where abortion is illegal.
In effect, it makes Michigan a refuge for abortion services travel.
“After the overturn of Roe v .Wade and the ensuing implementation of a series of extreme bans on abortion that criminalize women and medical professionals across the country, visitors to Michigan must know that they can access reproductive health care within our borders without fear of extradition,” Whitmer said in a statement.
“That is why I signed an executive order today refusing to cooperate with out-of-state law enforcement seeking to punish women for seeking health care,” Whitmer added. “I will stand up for all women, even if their local and statewide leaders refuse to. Michigan must remain a place where a person’s basic rights are preserved. In this existential moment for fundamental rights, it is incumbent on every elected official who believes that health — not politics — should guide medical decisions to take bold action. ”
For now, abortion is legal in Michigan. In May, the state’s 1931 abortion ban was temporarily halted by a Michigan Court of Claims judge who is presiding over a lawsuit by Planned Parenthood that argues the state’s constitution protects abortion rights. In a separate case, Whitmer is urging the Michigan Supreme Court to weigh in on the issue.
If all goes as planned, Michigan voters will decide on a ballot initiative in November that would amend the state’s constitution to affirm abortion rights. Reproductive Freedom for All turned in a record 753,759 signatures on Monday to trigger the ballot initiative.
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