Michigan pro-life advocates are getting closer to their goal of collecting 400,000 signatures on a petition to protect unborn babies from brutal dismemberment abortions.
On Monday, Right to Life of Michigan reported more than 200,000 signatures on the petition – about half way to their 400,000 goal. The pro-life organization said it needs 340,047 valid signatures to initiate legislation to ban dismemberment abortions.
“We are thankful for all the dedicated volunteers circulating petitions, and we are confident our incredible volunteers will collect the required number of signatures,” Right to Life of Michigan President Barb Listing said.
Pro-life advocates have until Dec. 23 to reach the goal, but Listing encouraged people to send in their petitions as soon as possible because every one must be checked.
Listing’s organization is one of several advocating for protections for unborn babies through the Michigan Values Life coalition. The Michigan Catholic Conference and other pro-life groups also are involved, according to MLive.com.
According to Right to Life of Michigan, there are more than 300,000 petitions circulating in the state, each with eight lines for signatures. The organization plans to give volunteers a two-week notice before the final deadline to send in their signatures. More information about the petition is available at MichiganValuesLife.org.
“Now that we are into the fall season, petitions are coming in more rapidly. We are hopeful after a strong push the signature gathering will be wrapped up before the holiday season,” Listing said.
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In the spring, Michigan state lawmakers passed bills to ban the brutal practice on unborn babies, but Democrat Gov. Gretchen Whitmer said she would veto the legislation. If the petition receives enough valid signatures, voters could bypass her veto.
Dismemberment abortion, otherwise known as dilation and evacuation (D&E), is a procedure in which the abortionist dilates the woman’s cervix and then uses steel instruments to dismember and extract the baby from the uterus.
It is a common second-trimester abortion method. In 2017, the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services reported 1,777 D&E (dismemberment) abortions.
Despite the public support, abortion activists have been lobbying aggressively against the legislation. Earlier this year, a Planned Parenthood lobbyist defended dismemberment abortions as a “standard of care.” The American Civil Liberties Union also hinted that it may sue if the dismemberment ban becomes law.
Currently, 11 states ban dismemberment abortions: Ohio, Kansas, Oklahoma, West Virginia, Mississippi, Alabama, Louisiana, Arkansas, Texas, Kentucky and North Dakota. In April, a judge blocked Ohio from enforcing its pro-life law.
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Author: Micaiah Bilger
