Pro-choice amendment to MI constitution receives 700,000+ signatures

[Lourdes]

https://www.chicagotribune.com/nation-world/ct-aud-nw-michigan-abortion-vote-20220711-n6v4coujrfhebp5k5inszcw5l4-story.html

LANSING, Mich. — Abortion rights are poised to come before Michigan voters in November after an abortion rights campaign turned in a record-breaking number of signatures Monday for a ballot initiative to the secretary of state’s office.

The effort will further increase attention on Michigan’s elections, where the battleground state’s Democratic governor and attorney general have made abortion rights a centerpiece of their reelection campaigns.

The push to enshrine abortion rights in the state constitution comes weeks after the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade and gave states the power to decide whether to ban the procedure. The ruling is expected to lead to abortion bans in roughly half the states.

Michigan is among several states with a pre-Roe abortion law that was set to take effect if Roe was overturned. However, a judge issued an injunction that temporarily blocked it. The 1931 law would make abortion a felony in all cases, except when “necessary to preserve the life of such woman.”

“The number of signatures showed that here in Michigan we trust women. We trust people. We trust doctors, not politicians, to make decisions about our body, our pregnancy and parenthood,” Reproductive Freedom for All spokesperson Shanay Watson-Whittaker said during a news conference in Lansing.

The 753,759 signatures turned in by the campaign was close to double the 425,059 needed and the most ever collected by a Michigan ballot initiative. The constitutional amendment would affirm the right to make pregnancy-related decisions without interference, including about abortion and other reproductive services such as birth control.

https://twitter.com/DKElections/status/1546565276166225920

[Skill and Chance]

IMO they could be making a mistake putting it up this year vs. in 2024.  Note that MI Dems currently control the state supreme court anyway.

[Damocles]

Based.

[afleitch]

That's a fantastic number from a usually disengaged base.

[Progressive Pessimist]

IMO they could be making a mistake putting it up this year vs. in 2024.  Note that MI Dems currently control the state supreme court anyway.

It's too dire to delay for political calculations. And even then, this is probably the best possible way to get Democrats to show up to the polls and vote in all other elections taking place. Michigan may now be a true swing state in most ways, but it's not constantly disappointing for Democrats like North Carolina is. Let's not act like it's doomed to fail just because of the year.

[Alben Barkley]

This will pass easily in a state like MI.

[Badger]

IMO they could be making a mistake putting it up this year vs. in 2024.  Note that MI Dems currently control the state supreme court anyway.

Maybe true? Or maybe it would be a boon for Democrats in a tight mid-year race?

[Yoda]

Ohio should do this in '24. As well as a minimum wage increase indexed to inflation while we're at it.

[Ferguson97]

IMO they could be making a mistake putting it up this year vs. in 2024.  Note that MI Dems currently control the state supreme court anyway.

I honestly wouldn’t be surprised to see the amendment pass while the Republicans win the statewide congressional vote.

[ProgressiveModerate]

IMO they could be making a mistake putting it up this year vs. in 2024.  Note that MI Dems currently control the state supreme court anyway.

The amendment is very likely to pass unless the Michigan electorate is R + 20 or smtg. Abortion isn't an issue that voters change their minds on just because it's a midterm year and ballot initiatives in Michigan tend to not get overly partisan, with the more popular poisiton greatly outrunning the party it's aligned with (see MIRC in 2018, for example. Rs were very publicly against it and yet it heavily outran Whitmer who already had a solid performance).

[Badger]

Ohio should do this in '24. As well as a minimum wage increase indexed to inflation while we're at it.

[Kahane's Grave Is A Gender-Neutral Bathroom]

I think the MI Dems are close to redeeming themselves and after November along with Pennsylvania could join the 'Competent State Democratic Parties' club, which currently consists of Georgia and Colorado.

[Person Man]

I think the MI Dems are close to redeeming themselves and after November along with Pennsylvania could join the 'Competent State Democratic Parties' club, which currently consists of Georgia and Colorado.

Let’s not get ahead of ourselves. Michigan, Pennsylvania, Georgia, and Colorado are excellent starts though Nevada, Florida, and Wisconsin might make things harder. It feels like the map is kind of regressing to 2000 in some places(PA,MI,NV) and accelerating in others(CO,IA,GA) .

[NewYorkExpress]

The U.S Supreme Court is going to strike this down the minute a pro-life group sues. Just because they didn't declare fetal personhood before doesn't mean they aren't going to later.

[Person Man]

The U.S Supreme Court is going to strike this down the minute a pro-life group sues. Just because they didn't declare fetal personhood before doesn't mean they aren't going to later.

I’m expecting that at least Gorsuch would say that’s too far, but that’s not guaranteed. Then again, it’s not guaranteed that they would go for it until Roberts or another liberal is replaced.

[LostInOhio]

I think Democrats should begin the process of starting statewide ballot initiatives like this for gay marriage as well. Just in case. Both abortion and gay marriage would likely pass by ballot initiative in every state aside from maybe a handful of heavily R  states like Alabama and WV.  

I’m willing to bet people would be shocked at just how many Trump voters would also vote for each of those things if put to a ballot too btw

[Person Man]

I think Democrats should begin the process of starting statewide ballot initiatives like this for gay marriage as well. Just in case. Both abortion and gay marriage would likely pass by ballot initiative in every state aside from maybe a handful of heavily R  states like Alabama and WV.  

I’m willing to bet people would be shocked at just how many Trump voters would also vote for each of those things if put to a ballot too btw

The goal should be to have every Biden state and Trump single digit state that has referendums to legalize abortion to 12 weeks with necessary exceptions thereafter.

[No War, but the War on Christmas]

Is this the reverse of the 2004 marriage amendments that the right pushed back then?