(WXYZ) — Several organizations on Friday filed paperwork aiming to get a proposal on Michigan's November ballot that would protect a woman's right to get an abortion.
Reproduction Freedom for All, along with the ACLU of Michigan, Planned Parenthood Advocates of Michigan and Michigan voices said they filed paperwork with the Board of State Canvassers.
According to the organization, they are taking action in anticipation that the U.S. Supreme Court could overturn Roe v. Wade.
Related: If Roe is overturned, Michigan has abortion ban on the books
If that happens, Michigan does have a law on the books that bans abortion. That 1931 law dates back to the 1800s and would automatically take effect. it makes it a felony to use an instrument or use any substance "to procure the miscarriage" of a woman unless it is necessary to preserve her life.
Under the planned proposal from the organizations, women would have a "right to make and carry out decisions without political interference in all matters relating to pregnancy, including abortion, birth control, prenatal care, and childbirth."
"We have reached a critical moment in history for abortion access in Michigan with the Supreme Court poised to overturn nearly 50 years of precedent and restrict abortion access for 2.2 million Michiganders. The vast majority of Michiganders want abortion to remain safe, legal, and accessible," Nicole Wells Stallworth, the executive director of Planned Parenthood Advocates of Michigan, said in a statement.
If the Board of State Canvassers approves the proposal summary, the group will then begin collecting signatures. They need to get 425,059 which then have to be approved by the board before it can be on the November ballot.
