Michigan repeals abortion ban as Kansas passes ‘Born Alive’ bill, tightens rules

KARAH RUCKER: STATES ARE CONTINUING TO MAKE THEIR OWN DECISIONS ON ABORTION SINCE ROE VERSUS WADE WAS OVERTURNED LAST SUMMER. SOME STATES ARE EXPANDING ACCESS AND RIGHTS TO AN ABORTION – WHILE OTHERS ARE LIMITING OR BANNING THE PROCEDURE OR INSERTING STATE LAWS TO PROTECT UNBORN CHILDREN.

THE LATEST DECISIONS COMING DOWN THIS WEEK ARE IN MICHIGAN AND KANSAS.

MICHIGAN GOVERNOR GRETCHEN WHITMER JUST SIGNED A BILL TO REPEAL AN ABORTION BAN THAT WAS ENACTED BACK IN 1931.

THE BILL ALSO STRUCK DOWN A LAW THAT MAKES ADVERTISING ABORTION DRUGS ILLEGAL – AND NO LONGER CLASSIFIES ABORTION-RELATED OFFENSES AS FELONIES.

VOTERS IN MICHIGAN ENSHRINED ABORTION RIGHTS IN THE STATES CONSTITUTION AFTER THE MEASURE WAS PLACED ON NOVEMBER’S MIDTERM BALLOT. OVERALL – EXPANDING ABORTION RIGHTS.

MEANWHILE IN KANSAS – VOTERS SIMILARLY PASSED A MEASURE IN THE MIDTERMS THAT PROTECTED ABORTION ACCESS. STATE LAWMAKERS PASSED WITH A VETO-PROOF MAJORITY A “BORN ALIVE” LAW INTENDED TO HUMANELY CARE FOR INFANTS WHO SURVIVE ABORTION PROCEDURES.

WHILE THE REPUBLICAN-CONTROLLED LEGISLATURE IS NOT BLOCKING ABORTION ACCESS – THEY ARE TIGHTENING LAWS SURROUNDING HOW ABORTION PROVIDERS CARRY OUT THE PROCEDURE.

18 OTHER STATES HAVE PASSED SIMILAR LAWS REQUIRING DOCTORS TO TRY AND SAVE INFANTS BORN ALIVE DURING A LABOR-AND-DELIVERY ABORTION.

SINCE THE OVERTURNING OF ROE VERSUS WADE – DOZENS OF LEGAL BATTLES HAVE ERUPTED ACROSS U.S. COURTS – MANY OF THEM STILL PLAYING OUT.

THE SUPREME COURT’S DECISION TO STRIKE DOWN ROE HAS SENT STATES INTO A FRENZY SECURING THEIR STANCES ON ABORTION.