The Michigan House on Thursday voted 65-43 to approve legislation (HB 4787, HB 4830) that would criminalize coercing a woman to have an abortion, the Detroit News reports.
The bills now head to the state Senate (Oosting, Detroit News, 3/24).
Legislation details
The legislation, sponsored by state Reps. Amanda Price (R) and Nancy Jenkins (R), would define coercion "as threatening to discontinue support, withdraw from a contract or fire a pregnant woman because she does not want to have an abortion." It also would increase penalties for crimes such as assault or stalking when abortion coercion is a factor.
Under the bill, a woman could prove coercion with "any statement or act, including inaction, that would clearly demonstrate to a reasonable person that she is unwilling to comply with a request or demand to have an abortion" (Women's Health Policy Report, 10/2/15).
According to the Detroit News, the conservative majority in the state House rejected amendments, proposed by liberal lawmakers, that would have banned all types of reproductive coercion, including tampering with birth control pills or condoms.
Comments
The majority of liberal lawmakers opposed the bill, denouncing it as part of an antiabortion-rights agenda and stating that it was unnecessary. According to the Detroit News, current state law treats any efforts to force a woman to terminate a pregnancy against her will as a type of felony extortion. Moreover, discrimination based on pregnancy or other familial status is barred under Michigan's civil rights statute.
State Rep. Marcia Hovey-Wright (D) said, "These bills aren't about protecting women," adding, "If they were, [conservatives] would have jumped at the chance to protect women who face coercion and abuse to remain pregnant" (Detroit News, 3/24).
