Lansing Update: Last Push to Defeat Proposal 3
Posted November 4, 2022
In this update:
- Prop 3 Ensures Taxpayers Will Pay for Abortion-on-Demand in Michigan
- Volunteers Needed to Knock Doors, Make Calls Up to Election Day
- Remember to Register and Vote!
Prop 3 Ensures Taxpayers Will Pay for Abortion-on-Demand in Michigan
The following is part of a seven-week statewide education campaign to inform Michigan Catholics about Proposal 3 and urge them to vote no on this unlimited expansion to abortion.
As part of that series, Michigan Catholic Conference (MCC) will run a seven-part series breaking down the most concerning parts of the proposal. The articles were authored by John Bursch, a constitutional lawyer and former Michigan Solicitor General who represents MCC.
The following is the final part of the seven-part series on Proposal 3:
This is our seventh and final week to review the actual language of Proposal 3 (the “Reproductive Freedom for All” proposal).
Unsurprisingly, the proposal violates Church teaching about the sacredness of all human life beginning at conception. Shockingly, the proposal also authorizes minors to obtain abortions and sterilizations without parental consent or even notice, effectively allows abortion on demand through 9 months of pregnancy, prevents the state from protecting unborn life or stopping discrimination based on a baby’s sex, race, or disability, effectively exempts abortionists from health and safety regulations, and permits non-medical professionals to assist with abortions while potentially absolving abortionists from medical-malpractice lawsuits.
Is it any surprise that Proposal 3’s supporters did not publish the proposal’s full text on their website until after petition signature gathering was over?
There are plenty of additional provisions of Proposal 3 that we could address, but we only have time for one more. Subsection (2) says that the “state shall not discriminate in the protection or enforcement of this fundamental right.” The Michigan Supreme Court has previously held that Michigan can limit taxpayer funding for abortions. But supreme courts of Alaska, California, Massachusetts, Minnesota, and New Jersey have all held that an independent state constitutional right to abortion means the state cannot restrict public funding of abortions.
Proposal 3’s anti-discrimination provision makes it a near certainty the same will happen here. So not only will abortion on demand be the law in Michigan, but all of us will likely have to pay for it—even if it violates our deepest religious beliefs about the value and dignity of unborn human life.
No matter how a voter feels about abortion, Proposal 3 is terrifying. This extreme proposal would make Michigan an outlier, not only in the United States but around the world. And the Michigan Legislature and courts would have very few tools to do anything to combat the proposal’s language, which appears intentionally overbroad. Please tell everyone you know: vote “NO” on Proposal 3 on November 8th.
John Bursch is a constitutional lawyer and former Michigan Solicitor General. Through Alliance Defending Freedom, he represents the Michigan Catholic Conference and Right to Life of Michigan in court to uphold Michigan’s pro-life laws.
Volunteers Needed to Knock Doors, Make Calls Up to Election Day
The defeat Proposal 3 campaign is looking to fill volunteer slots to knock on doors and make calls to voters ahead of Election Day next Tuesday.
These efforts are crucial in reaching as many voters as possible because all signs point to this election being a close one. Plus, these efforts have been fruitful: The more people learn more about Proposal 3, the more likely they are to pledge to vote against it.
Protect Life Michigan, the group organizing the door-knocking and phone call outreach, have made volunteering simple: All you need is a phone and a laptop, and you can even make these calls from your home if you can’t join them in person. They have written the scripts for you and have the lists of people to contact.
To sign up to knock on doors, click or tap here.
To sign up to make calls, click or tap here.
Please consider stepping up to knock doors or make calls as we close in on Election Day. In fact, this pre-election message from Bishop Earl Boyea of the Diocese of Lansing, urges the faithful in the final days before the election to pray, knock doors and get out the vote to help defeat Proposal 3.
Remember to Register and Vote!
As Election Day closes in on Tuesday, it’s important to check and see if you are properly registered to vote and to follow through in submitting your ballot.
In Michigan, you are allowed to register to vote and then vote in person right up until 8 p.m. on Election Day at your local clerk’s office.
For more on how to register to vote and what is required, click or tap here.
To find your local polling place if you are registered and planning to vote in person, click here.
If you are voting absentee and have not submitted your application, it is best if you return it directly to your local clerk’s office to make sure it is received by 8 p.m. on Election Day Tuesday.
As you prepare for Election Day, remember that MCC provides resources both on Proposal 3 as well as for forming your conscience according to Catholic social teaching with regards to voting the rest of the ballot.
