Appropriations

S.B. 117 – Sen. Thomas Albert

Current Status

S.B. 117 was introduced on March 1, and was referred to the Senate Appropriations Committee.

Description

S.B. 117 adds money into the 2023-2024 budget for pregnancy resource centers and other maternal supports. It also adds money into the budget for child welfare and adoption services.

Background

At her State of the State address in January 2023, Governor Whitmer stated that she wants to encourage growth in Michigan through growth in new families and she thinks abortion access is the way to do it. S.B. 117 is a way for Michigan to encourage and support the growth of families by providing support for parents instead of offering abortion as the only support. Now that Prop 3 has been added into the Michigan constitution, there is a fundamental right to “reproductive freedom” meaning abortion access is fully accessible and available. As pro-abortion activists love to say “having a child is a choice;” now is the time to offer a real choice to women. If their “right” to abortion cannot be infringed upon, then there is no reason not to provide money for services other than abortion for the women who decide to keep their child.

History

In the 101st legislative session, the 2022-2023 budget had money set aside for the same supports for women and children as S.B. 117. Governor Whitmer line-item vetoed all of the money set aside to help parents because she thought such supports “undermine a woman’s ability to make her own medical decisions with her trusted health care provider.” There is no longer a possibility of a woman losing her “right” to an abortion regardless of the other services provided to support her and the children she chooses to have. Therefore, there is no reason for the governor, or any other pro-abortion legislator to disagree with the money set aside in this budget plan. All the money would do is provide concrete support for women and their children.