On Wednesday, Michigan became the first state to formally repeal an abortion ban after the fall of Roe v. Wade.
Gov. Gretchen Whitmer (D) signed a bill on Wednesday afternoon that the state legislature passed last month, repealing crucial parts of a nearly century-old abortion ban in the state.
The bill revokes the section of a 1931 abortion law that makes it a felony in nearly all cases to administer drugs that would induce a miscarriage. This was the only section of the ban left that could have been used to restrict abortions after Michigan voters passed a ballot measure last year to protect abortion rights by a wide margin.
In remarks preceding the bill signing, Whitmer struck a triumphant tone. “We know that this fight continues. But I also know this. After the last year that I have lived through, I can tell you: We are going to win this fight,” she said. “So, who would like to watch me slay a zombie?”
Because it was unclear whether or not the portion of the law that is now repealed was still enforceable, Democrats — who control both chambers of the state legislature and the governor’s office — opted to get rid of that possibility. A Michigan state judge had already suspended the ban’s enforcement last year after ruling that it was unconstitutional.
Abortion advocates have celebrated the repeal.
“Today is a testament to the power of our voices and the strength of our votes, proving progress is possible when we elect those who champion our freedoms,” said NARAL Pro-Choice America President Mini Timmaraju in a statement. “NARAL Pro-Choice America and our 125,500 Michigan members thank Governor Gretchen Whitmer for her unwavering commitment to reproductive freedom. Today is a crucial step in the fight for freedom and abortion access for Michiganders today, tomorrow, and for generations to come.”
Some states have passed bills affirming the right to an abortion in recent months, while others have had their bans suspended by courts. But Michigan is the first state to repeal an abortion ban since the extremist Supreme Court handed down its Dobbs v. Jackson decision — a move that only became possible after state Democrats scored their first trifecta in decades in November. Democrats in other states have fought to repeal bans, but have been blocked by Republicans.
The repeal comes as abortion access in other states appears to grow more restricted by the month. So far, 13 states have complete or near-complete bans on the procedure, while five states have otherwise restrictive bans. Nine other states have had their bans blocked by judges, but Republicans are still waging efforts to skirt those rulings. If Republicans in Ohio and Indiana were able to have their bans reinstated, Michigan would become an island for abortion rights, totally cut off from other states where the procedure is legal.
Truthout Is Preparing to Meet Trump’s Agenda With Resistance at Every Turn
Dear Truthout Community,
If you feel rage, despondency, confusion and deep fear today, you are not alone. We’re feeling it too. We are heartsick. Facing down Trump’s fascist agenda, we are desperately worried about the most vulnerable people among us, including our loved ones and everyone in the Truthout community, and our minds are racing a million miles a minute to try to map out all that needs to be done.
We must give ourselves space to grieve and feel our fear, feel our rage, and keep in the forefront of our mind the stark truth that millions of real human lives are on the line. And simultaneously, we’ve got to get to work, take stock of our resources, and prepare to throw ourselves full force into the movement.
Journalism is a linchpin of that movement. Even as we are reeling, we’re summoning up all the energy we can to face down what’s coming, because we know that one of the sharpest weapons against fascism is publishing the truth.
There are many terrifying planks to the Trump agenda, and we plan to devote ourselves to reporting thoroughly on each one and, crucially, covering the movements resisting them. We also recognize that Trump is a dire threat to journalism itself, and that we must take this seriously from the outset.
Last week, the four of us sat down to have some hard but necessary conversations about Truthout under a Trump presidency. How would we defend our publication from an avalanche of far right lawsuits that seek to bankrupt us? How would we keep our reporters safe if they need to cover outbreaks of political violence, or if they are targeted by authorities? How will we urgently produce the practical analysis, tools and movement coverage that you need right now — breaking through our normal routines to meet a terrifying moment in ways that best serve you?
It will be a tough, scary four years to produce social justice-driven journalism. We need to deliver news, strategy, liberatory ideas, tools and movement-sparking solutions with a force that we never have had to before. And at the same time, we desperately need to protect our ability to do so.
We know this is such a painful moment and donations may understandably be the last thing on your mind. But we must ask for your support, which is needed in a new and urgent way.
We promise we will kick into an even higher gear to give you truthful news that cuts against the disinformation and vitriol and hate and violence. We promise to publish analyses that will serve the needs of the movements we all rely on to survive the next four years, and even build for the future. We promise to be responsive, to recognize you as members of our community with a vital stake and voice in this work.
Please dig deep if you can, but a donation of any amount will be a truly meaningful and tangible action in this cataclysmic historical moment.
We’re with you. Let’s do all we can to move forward together.
With love, rage, and solidarity,
Maya, Negin, Saima, and Ziggy