News Release: Catholic Conference Responds to Gov. Whitmer's Comments on Abortion, Paid Family Leave

(Lansing, Mich.) — Michigan Catholic Conference is responding to a speech delivered by Gov. Gretchen Whitmer today that previewed her agenda for the fall legislative session. In its response, MCC commits to opposing the abortion lobby’s interest in overturning long-standing and widely-supported limits on abortion while also offering support for a fair and just paid family leave policy in Michigan.

Rebecca Mastee, policy advocate for MCC, responded to the Governor’s comments on abortion by saying: “Gov. Whitmer’s interest in overturning abortion limits appear to reflect the interests of the national abortion industry, not the people of Michigan. After convincing voters to approve Proposal 3 by saying the measure would simply restore Roe, abortion advocacy groups are now placing the health and safety of women in danger by targeting long-standing, common-sense protections.”

The Governor and abortion advocacy groups are looking to overturn laws that require abortion clinics to be licensed and inspected for health and safety reasons, laws that some 90 percent of Michigan voters support, including Democrats and those who voted for Proposal 3. Gov. Whitmer and abortion advocates are also targeting laws that support a woman who has been coerced into an abortion and those that provide women with informed consent before proceeding with the procedure.

It should be noted that the abortion lobby appears to be backtracking from including in the legislation a repeal of the requirement for parental consent for their children to seek abortions, a law that is supported by 67% of Michigan voters.

Yet the other laws that abortion advocates want repealed have similar, if not greater support: The required 24-hour waiting period for abortions is supported by 63% of Michigan voters, and 90% of Michigan voters support keeping the basic health and safety standards that the Governor and abortion advocates say are “politically motivated.”

Mastee continued with her comments: “Gov. Whitmer and the Legislature should focus their time and energy on public policies that benefit all people, especially the low-income and those who are in need, rather than pursuing divisive and controversial abortion policies that Michigan voters widely oppose. On that point, Michigan Catholic Conference is interested in paid family leave policies that benefit parents and offer to mothers and fathers measures that make raising children easier in Michigan.”

Note: The polling numbers mentioned here are from a poll conducted by Marketing Resource Group and commissioned by MCC earlier this year.

Michigan Catholic Conference is the official public policy voice of the Catholic Church in this state.

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