Michigan Gov. Orders State Agencies to Protect Abortionists from Investigations

Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer (D)

Gov. Gretchen Whitmer (D-MI) issued an executive order on May 25 barring Michigan state agencies from cooperating with authorities from other states that are investigating abortion-related crimes.

Additionally, the order requires state agencies to "identify and assess potential opportunities to increase protections for reproductive health care."

Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel released a statement applauding Whitmer's order.

“It is incumbent upon those of us who hold public office to exercise the full authority of our positions to extend support and protection for women in our state — and our country,” Nessel said. “That is why I have made clear that I will not use the resources of my office to enforce or defend Michigan’s 1931 statute criminalizing abortion. I refuse to put millions of Michigan women at risk by restricting their access to safe abortions.”

Michigan's 1931 ban was recently suspended by Judge Elizabeth Gleicher. She did not recuse herself, despite the fact that she argued against the same law on behalf of Planned Parenthood in 1997.

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ACLU Challenges Florida's 15-Week Abortion Ban

The ACLU of Florida filed a lawsuit on June 1 to challenge Florida's new law banning abortions after the 15th week of development. Unless a judge issues an injunction, Florida's law will go into effect on July 1.

The ACLU lawsuit, filed on behalf of several abortion businesses throughout Florida, argues that Florida's "Reducing Fetal and Infant Mortality Act" violates Florida's Constitution's privacy clause.

Florida's law includes exceptions for severe fetal anomalies, to save the life of the mother, or to prevent serious physical impairment to the mother's body.

Gov. Ron DeSantis signed the law on April 14th. He said at the time, “This will represent the most significant protections for life that we have seen in a generation.”

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Planned Parenthood Sues to Block Oklahoma Abortion Law

photo credit: American Life League / Flickr

Shortly after Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt signed a new law banning most abortions, pro-abortion organizations announced that they are filing a lawsuit to block the law from going into effect.

Oklahoma HB 4327 prohibits most abortions from the moment of fertilization. Barring exceptions for rape, incest, and when the mother's life is in danger, abortion would be illegal in the state of Oklahoma. Much Texas's Heartbeat Act, the law empowers private citizens to sue abortionists who kill protected children.

“For anyone seeking abortion in Oklahoma and beyond: Planned Parenthood and our partners are fighting for you,” Alexis McGill Johnson, president and CEO at Planned Parenthood Federation of America, said in a statement when the bill was signed. “We will bring everything we have to make sure you can get the care you need, and challenge every ban enacted in Oklahoma.”

The challenge to Oklahoma HB 4327 will be added to the ongoing case against Oklahoma's "heartbeat act." That case is pending before the Oklahoma Supreme Court.

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Illinois Parental Notice Repeal Became Effective June 1

The repeal of Illinois's Parental Notice of Abortion Act, signed by Gov. J.B. Pritzker in December, became effective on June 1. Abortion businesses are no longer required to notify the parents of a minor seeking abortion.

“Illinois is now the only state in the Midwest that does not have Parental Notification in place, an open invitation to out-of-state minors to pursue abortions in Illinois,” Kevin Grillot, Executive Director of the March for Life Chicago, said in a statement on Wednesday.

The Parental Notice of Abortion Act was passed in 1995. It wasn't enforced until 2013 due to a lawsuit from pro-abortion groups. The law simply required abortion businesses to notify the parents or guardians of minors seeking an abortion. This notification had to happen at least 48 hours before the scheduled abortion. The law did not require the parents' permission. Additionally, minors could get approval from a judge to bypass the parental notification requirement.

The Parental Notice of Abortion Act gave parents the opportunity to speak with their daughters about the decision, and it provided an avenue by which sex traffickers could be caught. Without the notification requirement, sex traffickers who harm minors can use abortion businesses to hide their crimes.

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Rhode Island Supreme Court Upholds State Right to Abortion

On May 4, the Rhode Island Supreme Court upheld a 2019 state law declaring abortion to be a state right.

The court rejected a challenge by Servants of Christ for Life and two individual pro-life women who sued on behalf of their unborn children. They argued that state citizens should have been allowed to vote against the law in a referendum. Additionally, the mothers argued that the law erased the rights of their children.

The Court ultimately ruled that there was no right to a referendum on the law. It also ruled that unborn children had no legal standing because they are not "persons," and they further would not have standing because they were not harmed by the law (their pro-life parents chose life for them).

Attorney Diana Messere Magee, who represented the plaintiffs, said after the decision that her clients were considering whether to appeal to the US Supreme Court.

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Oklahoma Gov. Signs Law Banning Abortion at Fertilization

Oklahoma Gov Kevin Stitt (R)

On Wednesday, Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt signed a law that bans abortion from the moment of fertilization. Abortion businesses in the state closed when the law took effect.

The new law, which took effect immediately, bans abortion at all stages of pregnancy, but it includes exceptions for rape, incest, and when the life of the mother is at risk. Additionally, the law states that its definition of abortion, “does not include the use, prescription, administration, procuring, or selling of Plan B, morning-after pills, or any other type of contraception or emergency contraception.” These options can sometimes cause abortion after fertilization but before implantation.

The Oklahoma law is enforced by private citizens through civil lawsuits, just like Texas's Heartbeat Act. Texas's law remains enforceable today, despite court challenges. The Texas Heartbeat Act, however, only bans abortion when the child's heartbeat becomes detectable (six weeks).

“I promised Oklahomans that as governor I would sign every piece of pro-life legislation that came across my desk and I am proud to keep that promise today,” said Stitt in a statement. He continued, “From the moment life begins at conception is when we have a responsibility as human beings to do everything we can to protect that baby’s life and the life of the mother. That is what I believe and that is what the majority of Oklahomans believe. If other states want to pass different laws, that is their right, but in Oklahoma we will always stand up for life.””

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Nebraska Gov. to Call Special Session to Ban Abortion if Roe is Overturned

Nebraska Gov. Pete Ricketts (R)

Nebraska Gov. Pete Ricketts (R) said on May 15 that he plans to call a special legislative session if Roe v. Wade is overturned by the Supreme Court. If this happens, Ricketts would direct state legislators to immediately outlaw all abortions without exception.

CNN's Dana Bash asked the governor directly on May 15th whether he would call a special session to ban abortion. The governor responded, “Well, if we do get Roe v. Wade overturned, I will work with our speaker of the legislature to have a special session and do more to protect preborn babies. We’ll have to see what the decision is before we could take further steps but that would certainly be my intention.”

Nebraska lawmakers attempted to pass a "trigger law" last month, but it failed by two votes.

“Nebraska is a pro-life state,” Ricketts said. “I believe life begins at conception, and those are babies too. If Roe v. Wade, which is a horrible constitutional decision, gets overturned by the Supreme Court, which we’re hopeful of, here in Nebraska, we’re going to take further steps to protect those preborn babies.”

“Including in the case of rape or incest?” Bash pressed. Ricketts replied, “They’re still babies, too. Yes. They’re still babies.”

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Flossmoor, IL Planned Parenthood Downplays Medical Emergency

The Planned Parenthood facility in Flossmoor, IL called 911 on April 28 to request an ambulance for a patient having an allergic reaction to abortion drugs. The employee who called 911 originally downplayed the severity of the patient's reaction; later requiring the correction of a nurse. Operation Rescue obtained emergency records of the incident.

“We just need a transfer. We have a stable patient, 20 years old,” the first staffer said. “She [is] having an allergic reaction. And we just want her to get further evaluation.”

The young patient was suspected to have an allergic reaction to Misoprostol. Misoprostol is the second drug used during the abortion pill regimen. The first drug, Mifepristone, kills the child by blocking the flow of nutrients and oxygen to the child. Misoprostol is used afterward to induce labor, thereby causing the mother to expel the dead child from her womb.

The first staffer who spoke in the 911 call told the dispatcher that the patient was breathing normally, alert, oriented, stable, and conscious. She reiterated that the patient only needed a hospital transfer so she could get further evaluation. A nurse who later spoke with the dispatcher told a different story.

When the nurse spoke, she told the dispatcher that the patient was given an IV, Benadryl, and Excedrin. She also said, “And she’s not getting better. Uh, kind of, she’s getting worse. So that’s why we need you to take her to the hospital.”

“This late-term abortion business has demonstrated reckless failure to take proper emergency action for women experiencing dangerous complications,” said Operation Rescue president Troy Newman. “It appears that minimizing or hiding the seriousness of its emergencies to protect its reputation has become commonplace.”

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Vice President Harris Meets with Abortion Orgs; Promising Support

photo credit: Gage Skidmore / Flickr

Vice President Kamala Harris met with representatives from abortion organizations on Thursday to discuss the Supreme Court's potential reversal of Roe v. Wade.

The White House shared Harris's opening remarks for that meeting. In them, she makes false claims about the extent of the leaked draft opinion from the Supreme Court, and she disparages Oklahomans for passing a bill that would ban abortion from the moment of fertilization.

“So, this, when and if it happens, will be an extreme step backward. And it represents a threat not just to women, but to all Americans,” Harris said.

“The right to privacy that forms the basis of Roe is the same right to privacy that protects the right to use contraception, and the right to marry the person you love, including a person of the same sex. Overturning Roe opens the door to restricting those rights,” Harris continued. “It would be a direct assault on the fundamental right to self-determination, to live and love without interference from the government. At its core, this is about our future as a nation, about whether we live in a country where the country can interfere in personal decisions.”

This repeats the false claim made by Presiden Biden and other pro-abortion politicians about the extent of the Supreme Court's leaked draft opinion. The text of that opinion, authored by Justice Samuel Alito, explicitly states that it would not alter or rescind any precedents other than those regarding abortion specifically.

"None of the other decisions cited by Roe and Casey involved the critical moral question posed by abortion," the leaked draft opinion reads. "They do not support the right to obtain an abortion, and by the same token, our conclusion that the Constitution does not confer such a right does not undermine them in any way."

Harris went on to reference a pro-life Oklahoma bill that recently passed the state legislature; stating that Oklahomans and those in other pro-life states design such bills to "punish and control women." She argued that a woman's ability to get an abortion is "directly connected to her power to make decisions about her future." This statement implies that after giving birth, a mother will be forced to parent the baby; and furthermore implies that mothers are not capable of having careers. Both of these things are false. Adoption, parenting, and fulfilling careers are all possible for women when they are given life-affirming resources.

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Granite City Abortion Clinic Hospitalized at Least 2 Women in April

photo credit: Operation Rescue

Pro-life onlookers at Hope Clinic for Women (HCFW) recorded at least two instances last month when women left the facility in ambulances.

Over the past two years, sidewalk counselors and Operation Rescue have documented 11 medical emergencies at that location.

HCFW, rather than sending patients to a hospital in Illinois, has them sent to St. Louis, Missouri. The owner's husband has gynecology privileges there.

Operation Rescue obtained a recording of the 911 call from April 6, 2022. In that call, the HCFW employee cheerfully requests an ambulance for a woman with excessive bleeding.

“The Hope Clinic for Women continues to habitually endanger the lives of pregnant women in the process of profiting from destroying the lives of their innocent babies,” said Troy Newman, president of Operation Rescue. “Illinois is a state that recently liberalized their abortion laws. Should Roe v. Wade be overturned, that facility is poised to profit greatly from the increase in abortion clients, so we can only expect the number of women maimed during their obviously negligent abortions to increase.”

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Michigan Judge Suspends 1931 Law Banning Abortion

Michigan Judge Elizabeth Gleicher issued a preliminary injunction on Tuesday blocking a 1931 law that would ban abortion in the state if Roe v. Wade is overturned.

Planned Parenthood sued the state of Michigan to block the law, and state officials are taking no action to defend it. Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel said in a statement that the ruling against her office is a "victory for the millions of Michigan women fighting for their rights." It is her office's duty to defend and uphold the laws of Michigan, but she takes the same side as Planned Parenthood on this issue. She will not appeal Judge Gleicher's injunction.

”This is the kind of mess that you end up in the court system when the state’s chief executive and its attorney general refuse to uphold and defend the law that has been in place since 1931,” said John Bursch, an Alliance Defending Freedom lawyer representing Right to Life of Michigan and Michigan Catholic Conference.

“They may not like it, but no one has the ability to unilaterally ignore, change, encourage the invalidation of Michigan law. They should be working through the democratic process just like anyone else.”

Judge Gleicher served as counsel to Planned Parenthood in the past, and she has a history of donating and advocating for the plaintiff. Despite her connections to Planned Parenthood, the judge did not recuse herself.

In a 1997 case, Gleicher argued on behalf of Planned Parenthood that the Michigan constitution's right of privacy implied a right to abortion. The court decided against Planned Parenthood in that case. Now, Planned Parenthood is using a different angle to ask the court to find that right. It is using the Michigan Constitution's right to bodily integrity and due process.

"Pregnancy implicates bodily integrity because even for the healthiest women it carries consequential medical risks...thus, the link between the right to bodily integrity and the decision whether to bear a child is an obvious one," Judge Gleicher wrote. 

"Somehow this right was hiding underneath the surface for nearly a half a century until Judge Gleicher, Planned Parenthood’s former attorney, mysteriously found one," Bursch said. “The ruling today is absolutely egregious. Because the defendant Attorney General Dana Nessel was not defending the law, the court had no jurisdiction.”

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Salesforce Offers to Relocate Employees to Pro-Abortion States

The tech company Salesforce told employees last Thursday that the company will help them move to pro-abortion states if they fear losing access to abortion.

“If you have concerns about access to critical health care in your state, Salesforce will provide financial support for travel, available through our health care providers, and/or help relocate you and members of your immediate family,” Brent Hyder, Salesforce’s president and chief people officer, wrote in the Slack post according to CNBC.

Salesforce will also pay the travel costs for workers who travel out of state to get abortions.

The company will also pay for group counseling sessions to help employees who are upset that abortion might become illegal. “If you are struggling with the recent news on reproductive healthcare, a Lyra counselor will be facilitating small group sessions (max 25 people) focused on guiding employees through ways you can cope with stress,” Hyder reportedly wrote.

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Gov Pritzker Announces $11.2 Million in Title X Funding

Governor Pritzker announced on Monday that $11.2 million will be spent to "support family planning services throughout Illinois." This spending will fund and subsidize abortions throughout the state through the federal Title X family planning program. According to Gov. Pritzker's press release, it "will support and expand access to equitable and affordable family planning services for low-income populations across Illinois."

$5.4 million of that comes from the US Department of Health and Human Services. $5.8 million is set to come from the state.

"Now that the Biden administration has reversed Trump's gag rule, I am proud to announce we have rejoined the federal Title X program and we're putting record funding toward our Illinois Family Planning Program," said Governor JB Pritzker. "Let this record-breaking investment remind women that the state of Illinois trusts you to make your own choices. To choose what contraceptives are right for you. To choose whether you want to be a parent or not. And we will make sure that—on top of protecting your right to choose—you get the care that you deserve."

The Trump administration issued the "Protect Life Rule" for Title X funding during his presidency, which prohibited recipients of Title X funding from committing abortion, co-locating with organizations that commit abortions, or referring patients for abortions. In 2019, Pritzker announced that Illinois would not contribute to the federal Title X program because it would not fund abortions. Understand that the Protect Life Rule did not reduce Title X family planning funding. It simply directed funds to organizations that did not treat abortion as a method of family planning.

"Countless vulnerable people lost a lifeline when Title X funding was lost due to the Trump administration's gag rule, and the restoration of that funding is now more important than ever as our constitutional right to bodily autonomy is under attack," said Lt. Governor Juliana Stratton. "This $11.2 in critical funding is a step forward in ensuring people receive the reproductive care they need, and it will build on our commitment of a safe, welcoming Illinois for all."

Click here to read the Governor's press release.

Chicago Mayor Lightfoot Announces Plans to make City an "Abortion Oasis"

Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot (D)

As one of many pro-abortion politicians preparing for a potential decision from the US Supreme Court overruling Roe v. Wade, Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot has announced her plan to make the windy city an "oasis" for abortion.

Lightfoot announced that the Chicago Department of Public Health will spend $500,000 to subsidize the transportation expenses of women traveling from other states to get abortions. The funds are expected to pay for lodging, transportation, and food among other things.

“We’re expecting, frankly, an explosion of new cases from women in Wisconsin, Missouri, potentially Michigan, Indiana,” Lightfoot told MSNBC. Some of those states have existing laws that would prohibit abortion if Roe v. Wade is overturned. Others have the potential to implement such laws. “I think the list is long, and Chicago is going to be an oasis in the Midwest, and we have got to be ready,” the mayor continued.

Sat down with @HallieJackson and @MSNBC to discuss Chicago’s plan for reproductive rights and abortion access. Chicago is going to be an oasis for women in the Midwest, and we’ve got to be ready. pic.twitter.com/VaNXM8T0lj

— Lori Lightfoot (@LoriLightfoot) May 9, 2022

Lightfoot went on to echo President Biden's false claim that the leaked draft decision would undermine rights that don't involve ending the lives of innocent children.

“If you look at that draft opinion and you look at the briefs in support of the appellants, they’re going after every right that has been recognized that arises from a right of privacy,” she said. “Whether it’s a right to contraception, the right for same-sex marriage, interracial marriage.”

The leaked draft opinion, authored by Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito, clearly articulates that it does not change any rulings other than those issued in regard to abortion specifically. "None of the other decisions cited by Roe and Casey involved the critical moral question posed by abortion," the leaked draft opinion reads. "They do not support the right to obtain an abortion, and by the same token, our conclusion that the Constitution does not confer such a right does not undermine them in any way."

Lightfoot doubled down on her claim. "To my friends in the LGBTQ+ community—the Supreme Court is coming for us next. This moment has to be a call to arms," she wrote in a tweet. "We will not surrender our rights without a fight—a fight to victory!"

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"Women's Health Protection Act" Fails in US Senate Again

On May 11, a cloture vote on the "Women's Health Protection Act" (WHPA) once again failed in the US Senate. That legislation, which had already failed to bypass the filibuster once before, would create a federal right to abortion and undermine state abortion regulations. Among many other things, this bill would prevent states from restricting government funding of abortion.

Senate Republicans were joined by Democrat Senator Joe Manchin (WV) in a 49-51 vote. To bypass Senate filibuster rules, pro-abortion senators would have needed 60 votes. They failed, however, to even reach 50.

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) filed another cloture vote shortly after a bad actor leaked a draft Supreme Court opinion by Justice Samuel Alito. That opinion called for the abortion precedent set by Roe v. Wade and Planned Parenthood v. Casey to be overturned.

Pundits largely expected the vote to fail. It primarily serves as a tactic by pro-abortion politicians to try and gain support for the upcoming 2022 midterm elections. If pro-abortion politicians win a majority in the US Senate after the midterm elections, some pundits suggest that they would modify filibuster rules to pass the WHPA.

Pro-life laws that would be prohibited under the WHPA include

• informed consent
• waiting periods
• conscience rights for doctors
• limiting those who can perform abortions to licensed physicians
• limits based on gestational age
• sex-selective discriminatory abortion bans

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Gov Pritzker Speech Celebrates Illinois as an Abortion Destination

IL Gov JB Pritzker (D)

Illinois Governor JB Pritzker gave a speech on Wednesday at the Planned Parenthood clinic in Fairview Heights, IL. During that speech, the governor celebrated how that clinic draws most of its clients from other states.

"More than 75% of this clinic’s patients are from out-of-state – coming from places like Oklahoma, Missouri, Texas, and Kentucky, sometimes traveling eight-plus hours and hundreds of miles to get basic reproductive care," Pritzker said. "Often these patients have struggled to get the necessary childcare, lodging, and time off work. They’re patients who’ve struggled to find enough money to travel this far. Patients who’ve had to answer personal questions to their employers or had to invent a reason to be gone for days. Patients who’ve faced hurdles at every turn in the pursuit of basic healthcare. And let’s be crystal clear about this point: abortion is healthcare."

The Fairview Heights Planned Parenthood clinic was constructed secretly under the name of a shell company. The primary reason for its creation was to combat pro-life policies enacted in Missouri. Since then, the clinic has also created a national call center to connect women with abortion resources.

Pritzker addressed US lawmakers voting once again on the "Women's Health Protection Act," saying, "there is no archaic rule, no parliamentary maneuver, no matter that is more critical than protecting the lives and bodily autonomy of more than 160 million people. It’s long past time for this nation to codify Roe v. Wade into law. If it takes overhauling the filibuster, then overhaul the filibuster. If it requires countless hours of pleading and deliberation, then get to work. If it takes courage, find it."

The lives of innocent children deserve protection under the law, and that protection is critical. If Roe v. Wade is overturned, the lives of millions can be saved through life-affirming state legislation. Unfortunately, Illinois is poised to undercut life-saving policies enacted by neighboring states.

Click here to read the governor's full speech.

More Companies, Including Disney and Tesla, Announce Benefits Subsidizing Employees' Abortions

Tesla CEO Elon Musk

Disney, Tesla, United Talent Agency (UTA), and Levi Strauss have joined the growing list of companies that will pay for their employees' out-of-state abortion expenses.

As pro-life states begin to regulate abortion more strictly, either through Texas-style heartbeat laws or outright bans enabled by the US Supreme Court overruling Roe v. Wade, some companies are creating policies designed to counteract state laws. New benefits to employees will pay the abortion and/or travel costs for employees who travel from pro-life states to pro-abortion states to have their unborn children killed.

Tesla is a surprising company to join the list, as CEO Elon Musk has stated that he believes low birth rates are one of the "biggest risks to civilization."

Jerry Zimmer, the CEO for UTA, wrote in a statement this week, “We’re doing this to support the right to choose that has been a bedrock of settled law for almost half a century. Several states have already introduced restrictive legislation, and the draft Supreme Court ruling leaked yesterday, if it comes to pass, could make abortion illegal in more than half of the country.” UTA is a large talent agency for Hollywood.

Journalist Christopher Rufo reported on May 5 that Disney's new benefits program will also subsidize out-of-state abortions.

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Connecticut Gov Signs Expansive Abortion Bill

Connecticut Gov. Ned Lamont (D)

On May 5, Connecticut Gov. Ned Lamont signed abortion-expanding legislation allowing non-doctors to commit abortions and protecting Connecticut residents who break pro-life laws in other states.

The abortion bill passed the state House by a vote of 87-60. Afterward, it passed the state Senate 25-9.

According to the governor's press release, Public Act 22-19 is "a first-in-the-nation law that will protect medical providers and patients seeking abortion care in Connecticut who may be traveling from other states that have outlawed abortion."

Some pundits suggest that the law could also prevent Governors from extraditing those who commit crimes in Connecticut that are illegal in another state.

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