Today the Michigan Senate Transportation Committee reported out the Choose Life license plate bill by a vote of 3-1 (one prolife senator was absent). There was no debate on the bill, just a quick vote to approve it. The bill now goes to the full Senate for consideration.
Also today, State Rep. Lana Theis (along with 33 additional co-sponsors) introduced House Bill 4467. The Miscarriage-Heartbeat Awareness Act will require that women considering abortion be given the opportunity to hear her baby’s heartbeat before the abortion.
The bill also addresses an important trend of abortion providers pushing women to ever-earlier abortions using the abortion pill, even before a viable pregnancy can be confirmed.
If the baby’s heartbeat cannot be detected, the woman must be informed of the rates of natural miscarriage before the heartbeat is detected.
The overall miscarriage rate after a positive pregnancy test ranges from 15% to 25%. But after a heartbeat is detected, the miscarriage rate drops below 5%.
How many women make a rushed, panicked decision before knowing if her child is even developing normally?
As Rep. Theis stated in her press release today, "These are important statistics to be aware of, and providing them will allow her to evaluate the next step. If it is possible for her to avoid the expense and trauma associated with a potentially unnecessary abortion, then that information should be provided to her."
Finally, legislation to legalize doctor-prescribed suicide was introduced in the Michigan House today. HB 4461 and 4462 were introduced by Rep. Tom Cochran and Rep. Kevin Hertel. The bills were referred to the House Health Policy Committee, where they are expected to receive zero action (yet no doubt get the most media attention, despite our excellent track record of passing legislation over decades). In 1998 71 percent of Michigan voters overwhelmingly chose to keep our state's ban on doctor-prescribed suicide.
