Abortion rights advocates will not launch ballot drive to repeal controversial new insurance law

Mlive ^ | 1-13-2013 | Jonathan Oosting

[Darren McCarty]

Reproductive rights groups opposed to Michigan's new abortion insurance law will not seek to overturn it at the ballot box in 2014.

The ACLU of Michigan, along with state chapters of Planned Parenthood and the National Organization of Women, had been considering a referendum to repeal the law, which prohibits insurers from covering most abortions unless a woman or her employer has purchased an additional rider in advance.

"The timing is just not right for a referendum or initiative at this point," Rana Elmir, deputy director for the ACLU of Michigan, said Tuesday.

"Our research indicates that there's a growing dissatisfaction and frustration in Michigan with regards to government overreach into women and their family's private lives, but rather than put our resources or efforts into a one-off referendum or initiative, the goal will be to create a broad strategy that addresses this growing frustration with politicians involving themselves in women's lives."

Under Michigan law, the coalition would have had a 90-day window to collect 162,000 signatures to place a referendum on the 2014 ballot, a tall task at any time made more difficult by the realities of winter weather.

The coalition conducted internal polling earlier this year as it considered launching a ballot drive, but Elmir said the group decided not to set precedent by releasing the results. Previous third-party polling suggested voter opposition to the insurance restrictions.

[Darren McCarty]

They don't want a ballot issue because this state isn't a fan of killing babies.

[Vigilanteman]

. . . but rather than put our resources or efforts into a one-off referendum or initiative, the goal will be to create a broad strategy that addresses this growing frustration with politicians involving themselves in women's lives."

What a fancy way to say that they just weren't going to collect enough signatures . . .

[E. Pluribus Unum]

TRANSLATION: “A defeat at the ballot box looks likely.”

[cripplecreek]

"The timing is just not right for a referendum or initiative at this point,"

In other words, Michigan is slowly slipping out of their grasp.



Michigan legislative action thread

[bunkerhill7]

“Reproductive rights” and “Abortion rights” are diametrically opposite terms-

One is the antithesis of the other.

Abortion is an anti-reproductive act.

This writer needs to get a dictionary.

[cripplecreek]

Oosting is just using partyspeak.

[SunkenCiv]

> In other words, Michigan is slowly slipping out of their grasp.

and if Michigan is...