News Release: Legislature Urged to Adopt Ban on Partial-Birth Abortion

(Lansing)—Michigan Catholic Conference Vice President for Public Policy Tom Hickson provided the following comments after the House Families, Children, and Seniors Committee this morning passed legislation—House Bills 4109 and 4110—that would prohibit a physician from performing a partial-birth abortion in this state:

“It is hard to imagine a policy that deserves to be enacted more quickly than that which outlaws the gruesome practice of destroying a living human child midway through delivery. While those who support the legality of this heinous procedure will argue that the federal law makes a state law superfluous, the necessity for a state statute that mirrors a federal law (Elliott-Larsen Civil Rights Act, for example) is unambiguous.

“This legislation will eliminate reliance on federal authorities to prosecute anyone who destroys a partially born child, especially as the current administration has decided to no longer enforce [Link no longer available —Ed.] certain laws, specifically the federal Defense of Marriage Act. Passing this legislation also makes a statement that Michigan will speak boldly in the defense of the sanctity of human life.

“Michigan Catholic Conference applauds the sponsors and cosponsors of this legislation as well as the members of the House Families, Children, and Seniors Committee for taking quick action on this common sense measure. We now urge the full House to move the bills over to the Senate with the intent to enact a partial-birth abortion ban as quickly as possible.”

Michigan Catholic Conference is the official public policy voice of the Catholic Church in this state.

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