Michigan is at the forefront of courts and campaigns as the abortion battle returns to the state

Clawson, Michigan (CNN)Democratic GovernorGretchen Whitmeris the best to protect the right to abortion In Michigan, on the front lines, only court injunctions prevent the state from returning to the 1931 law, which banned and criminalized abortion.

Whitmer first filed a proceeding in April and brought almost all the abolitions to the Michigan Supreme Court. He called for the withdrawal of the 1931 law in consideration. Felony, doctors and pregnant women can be sentenced to up to four years in prison. Her move anticipates a US Supreme Court ruling last week, which officially returned the controversial issue to the state and put it at the forefront of her second bid as governor.

"The most important economic decision a woman makes in her lifetime is when and whether she will have a child, and this court's decision could abort a child from all women in the country. Whitmer is a small group of women here to discuss the right to abortion. "It's up to the governor, and that's why this fight is so important."

This week she again pressured the State Supreme Court to file an abortion proceeding, and a decision from Washington was in Michigan. He said it caused confusion in the state. Democratic candidates in state courts currently make up a majority of four to three.

Republican rivals

It's too early to know if the outcome of the abortion election will be affected by the latest chapter in the fight for abortion, but the Earthquake Court Revitalized both sides of the ruling debate and reshaped a series of issues driving many campaigns-more seriously in congressional as well as local and state-wide contests.

Discussions have already taken place in the elections for governors of Michigan, Wisconsin, and Pennsylvania, and the Democratic Party is the last line of defense for Republican governor challengers and GOP-controlled legislatures to seek new abortion restrictions. Claims.

"It may not be the only problem people vote for, but we want to empower people in this tough economy," Whitmer said. "The last thing you do is deprive them of their health care, deprive them of their rights, and make them not perfect citizens."

This tightly divided In the state, Whitmer also faces the same political headwinds that democratic candidates are experiencing across the country, and President Joe Biden's low approval rate is a tough economic challenge. She acknowledged those concerns, but she said depriving women and their families of the right to abortion would pose a greater financial burden to women and their families.

"Inflation is at the expense of gas costs, food costs, it's tough," Whitmer said. "But I also know that you deprive someone of the ability to make health care decisions. It only exacerbates the pain that the family will feel."

Who opposes Whitmer? Tudor Dixon, one of the five Republicans in the August primary to be decided, strongly opposes the right to abortion. She has earned the coveted support of Michigan's right to life. This is an influential grassroots group of anti-abortion rights, launching a campaign against a petition to ask voters directly if they want to enshrine abortion rights in Michigan by asking questions on the November ballot. I have an abortion. Constitution.

"On both sides, it energizes people," Dixon said of the Supreme Court's groundbreaking ruling. "Sure, you have professional life people who feel this was a victory, and then you have professional choice people who want to see something different."

Right to worship

Organizers are the final day to collect the signatures of the initiative-requires valid signatures of 425,059-centered through the fall elections in a move to ensure that abortion continues Problem.

Sharon Basemen, armed with a clipboard and pen, greeted people attending a band concert earlier this week in Huntington Woods, Detroit, on the outskirts of Oakland County.

"Did you still sign the petition for the referendum voting initiative?" Basemen stopped and asked all passers-by to listen one after another. He explained that a handful of men and women signed the petition in a democratic community, and some had already signed it.

"On Friday, all the hell collapsed and people said,'What can I do?'" The basement said in an interview. "I think women are sick. I think they're wrong, so many people who aren't necessarily Democrats are signing."

To the Governor Candidates Dixon and her Republican rivals are opposed to the constitutional amendment question added to the November ballot. She says Whitmer and other Democrats are trying to change the conversation by launching a 2022 campaign on the right to abortion, rather than inflation and other economic issues that are of paramount concern to all voters. Suggested.

"Gretchen Whitmer has a pretty negative record in this situation, so she needs to see if she can come up with something to take people to the ballot box." Dixon said. There is also an incentive to vote against the constitutional amendment in November.

Kristen Pollo, a coalition of spokeswoman who opposes the right to abortion, called a citizen to support women and children at the University of Michigan, has severely condemned the ballot initiative, and her group has said this. He said he intends to launch a strong campaign against the bill.

"We are preparing to run a large educational campaign against this amendment of abortion," Polo said in an interview. "For the next four months until the election day, we will fight to educate all abortions about what this abortion correction text actually contains."

Memorial A week after the monumental Supreme Court ruling, she said the excitement among the opponents of abortion rights remained as high as the beginning of a new chapter in the debate.

"It was a celebration moment that we were finally able to bring this issue back to the state," Polo said. "But we also recognize that a lot of effort is needed before us."

Lauren Kogari, Managing Director of the American Civil Liberties Union in Michigan, said the petition was in July. He said he was confident that he would receive the required number of signatures by the 11-day deadline. She dismissed the criticism that the proposed constitutional amendment was extreme, saying that voters could circumvent the Republican-controlled legislature and decide for themselves whether to protect their rights to abortion and reproductive freedom. Stated.

She said the Michigan amendment would serve as a test run for other states navigating the post-row world.

"If this passes, it will serve as a model for other types of similarly located states across the country," Kogari said. "This will be a beacon in the midst of a very difficult time for those who support reproductive rights."