Thursday, March 3, 2011

Partial Birth Abortion Ban Clears Senate Committee

The Michigan Senate Judiciary Committee reported out Senate Bills 160-161 on March 1. The bills would prohibit partial birth abortions (SB 160) and provide sentencing penalties for anyone convicted of violating the law (SB 161). The vote on SB 160 was 3 Yes, 1 No; the vote on SB 161 was 3 Yes, 1 abstain. The bills are now pending on the Senate floor, but no time frame has been set for a vote on the bills.

Senators Rick Jones, Tonya Schuitmaker and Tory Rocca voted for the bills. Sen. Bieda raised a procedural objection and voted against SB 160 and abstained from voting for SB 161.

Right to Life of Michigan President Barbara Listing testified in support of a ban prohibiting partial birth abortion.

Listing said, "Now is the time for Michigan to finally place this measure to protect babies who are inches from being born on our law books once and for all."

Those representing Planned Parenthood and the American Civil Liberties Union voiced their opposition to a ban on partial birth abortion.

Visit the Right to Life of Michigan web site, www.rtl.org, to hear Barbara Listing explain the harsh reality of partial birth abortion and Right to Life of Michigan Legislative Director Ed Rivet address why Michigan needs a state law banning partial birth abortion.

Help us communicate with lawmakers by standing up for the unborn. Sign the petition to ban partial birth abortions.

Let's make Michigan a safer place for babies being born.