Michigan's lame-duck GOP legislature passed a ban limiting access to the abortion pill

[turbinetree]

Source: Talking Points Memo

Weeks before the state's new Democratic governor is set to take office, Republicans are passing bills in the middle of the night.

ELHAM KHATAMI
DEC 13, 2018, 11:15 AM


While most Michigan residents were sleeping Thursday morning, the state’s lame-duck GOP legislature passed a measure that would ban doctors from prescribing the abortion-inducing pill via internet webcam.

The House voted 62-47 to renew the 2012 “telemedicine ban” that was due to expire at the end of this year. The bill now moves to the desk of Gov. Rick Snyder (R), who is expected to sign it, weeks before he is replaced by the state’s incoming new Democratic governor, Gretchen Whitmer.

The middle-of-the-night vote is one of several steps the Republican-controlled state House has taken recently to roll back progressive policies or implement conservative measures before Michigan’s new Democratic governor, attorney general, and secretary of state take office. Last week, the legislature passed amendments to do away with the state’s minimum wage increase and paid sick leave, triggering angry protests at the state capitol.

Under the “telemedicine” bill, people seeking an abortion would be required to physically go to the doctor’s office to acquire a prescription for the abortion-inducing pill. While supporters of the legislation argue that the prohibition is a safety precaution, the medication — a combination of mifepristone and misoprostol — is verified by the World Health Organization and, as research has shown, is a safe and effective option for terminating pregnancy up to 11 weeks.

Read more: https://thinkprogress.org/michigan-lame-duck-gop-legislature-ban-limiting-abortion-pill-6b487342dc7a/

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“In this case, absent the ability to prescribe remotely, a woman would have to travel to a clinic, hospital, or office to take the medication,” Betty Chu, president of the Michigan State Medical Society, said in a statement, according to the Detroit News. “The unfortunate reality is this isn’t feasible in many remote areas of the state, hence the impetus for and expansion of telemedicine.”

As ThinkProgress previously reported, self-induced abortion is currently banned in seven states. According to the Guttmacher Institute, 19 states require doctors prescribing abortion medication to be physically present when doing so.


These republican assholes are just plain assholes.................on one hand they want to treat people like shit and die, and on the other hand they want to deny people the right to privacy................

[DownriverDem]

1. Gov Snyder is the key

Snyder is more moderate than the repubs in the legislature. Synder expanded Medicaid. There are more wacky bills being sent to him. I hope he thinks of his legacy.

[llmart]

7. Nothing is going to help his legacy at this point.

I think he knows that.

[muntrv]

11. Flint water crisis destroyed his legacy.

[Ohiogal]

2. Infuriating!!!!

They are evil misogynistic slime!

[katmondoo]

3. Why do Republicans always have to be so damn mean all of the time

Their life work is to make people miserable, especially women. Damn them all to hell

[DownriverDem]

9. So clear

A person has to be brain dead not to know who the repubs truly are.

[calimary]

6. And they CAN'T say they're "pro-life."

Not if they're trying to cut health services - and any other government programs that help sustain and protect life ONCE IT'S BORN.

Not if they remain in denial about our accelerating climate crisis. THAT threatens ALL life on this planet. Not just all developing embryos.

Not if they're siding with trump/Saudis because "it's just one man's death - we've got billions of dollars in weapons deals on the line!"

[Buckeyeblue]

4. These people are a piece of work...

We need a state constitutional amendment that somehow limits this lame duck kind of legislation. But this group knows that Republican control of the state may be over. We passed a law to redistrict the state with a non-partisan commission.

[DownriverDem]

8. I totally agree

No bills should be passed in a lame duck session. We don't need havoc foisted on the newly elected folks. This has to apply to both the Dems and repubs. The repubs want to mess with the recreational pot proposal that passed by at least 10 points. They want to mess with folks being able to grow it. Right now they can grow 12 plants. repubs suck.

[mahatmakanejeeves]

5. It won't hold up. It's an attempt to interfere with interstate commerce.

See the U.S. Constitution.

This is on a par with cities trying to regulate railroads. No can do. That's up to the Federal Railroad Administration.

[sinkingfeeling]

10. Wow. Guess Michigan is now North Arkansas.