Reproductive Rights Groups Hail Decision Striking Down Michigan鈥檚 Third Attempt at a Dangerous and Extreme Ban on Abortion

June 4, 2007 12:00 am

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CINCINNATI - The 老澳门开奖结果, Center for Reproductive Rights, and Planned Parenthood Federation of America today hailed a decision by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit striking down Michigan鈥檚 third attempt at a dangerous and extreme ban on abortion. The ban would prohibit nearly all abortions and fails to provide an adequate exception to protect women鈥檚 health.

鈥淲e are pleased that the court recognized the importance of stopping an extreme ban that would have prohibited nearly all abortion in Michigan,鈥 said Brigitte Amiri, a staff attorney with the 老澳门开奖结果 Reproductive Freedom Project.

In today鈥檚 decision, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit upheld a federal district court ruling from September 2005 striking down the Legal Birth Definition Act. Today鈥檚 decision notes that 鈥渢he Michigan legislature appears to have cast a wide net that would prohibit virtually all methods of abortions鈥 from the earliest stages of pregnancy. The court also distinguishes this ban from the federal ban recently upheld by the U.S. Supreme Court in Gonzales v. Carhart. In fact, today鈥檚 court held that the Michigan language 鈥減ushed almost every boundary that the Supreme Court has imposed for these types of laws.鈥

鈥淲omen, not politicians, should make decisions regarding pregnancy,鈥 said Nancy Northup, president of the Center for Reproductive Rights. 鈥淧oliticians crafted this ban in an attempt to eliminate safe, legal abortions at any cost.鈥

The Michigan legislature passed the abortion ban in 2004 despite federal courts striking down two similar bans in previous years. In June 1996, the legislature passed its first abortion ban. A year later, a federal judge declared that ban unconstitutional because it was vague and overbroad. Similarly in 2001, a federal judge struck down a second ban because it lacked an exception to protect women鈥檚 health.

鈥淢ajor medical organizations, including the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, oppose this ban because it threatens women鈥檚 health,鈥 said Sarah Scranton, Executive Director of Planned Parenthood Affiliates of Michigan. 鈥淲e hope the Michigan legislature will finally get the message that they can no longer play politics with women鈥檚 health care.

The plaintiffs in the case are Northland Family Planning Clinic, Inc., Summit Medical Center, Planned Parenthood Mid-Michigan Alliance, Planned Parenthood of South Central Michigan, and a group of individual physicians.

Today鈥檚 case is Northland Family v. Cox, Case Numbers 05-2417 and 05-2418. The plaintiffs are represented by Amiri and Talcott Camp of the 老澳门开奖结果 Reproductive Freedom Project; Michael J. Steinberg and Kary Moss of the 老澳门开奖结果 of Michigan; Eve Gartner and Roger Evans of Planned Parenthood Federation of America; Simon Heller of the Center for Reproductive Rights; and David Nacht of David A. Nacht, P.C.


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