LANSING, MI – Today, Right to Life of Michigan and concerned parents filed an appeal to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit on a ruling issued by Federal District Court Judge Paul Maloney which dismissed a challenge to Proposal 3 on standing grounds. The ruling did not address the merits of the claims. Today’s narrow appeal seeks to challenge the overreach of Proposal 3 on the grounds that the state constitutional amendment threatens parental rights related to a minor child’s decision to seek an abortion. Parental rights are protected by the Fourteenth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution. Moreover, parental consent for abortion has been part of Michigan law since 1993 and continues to enjoy overwhelming support from Michigan citizens.
“Today’s appeal seeks to protect parental rights, which are now at unprecedented risk due to Proposal 3’s broad language. It shocks the conscience to see the rampant disregard for the role of parents in helping guide their children through decisions that will impact their mental and physical wellbeing, which is undeniably the case with abortion,” said Amber Roseboom, President, Right to Life of Michigan. “The radical abortion-obsessed left is hell-bent on creating a wedge between parents and their children when it comes to abortion, gender identity and sex education. The threat to parental consent for abortion would jeopardize a critical, long-standing safeguard in protecting children from harm.”
This issue is unfolding as the Michigan Department of Education faces backlash from proposed new statewide standards for health education that threaten parental rights. The new standards, yet to be voted on by the State Board of Education, would require teaching about “reproductive health” and how to seek medical care for “reproductive health” concerns to minor children in schools without parental approval or oversight. Moreover, last term, legislative abortion advocates removed the requirement that schools implement a discipline policy for employees who aid or assist students with abortion while simultaneously expanding school-based healthcare facilities.
Right to Life of Michigan played an instrumental role in gathering the signatures to pass the Parental Rights Restoration Act which ultimately led to the 1993 parental protection law in Michigan.
The appeal was filed by Robert J. Muise, Esq., of the American Freedom Law Center.
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Right to Life of Michigan (RLM) is the state’s oldest and largest non-profit organization dedicated to advocating a choice for life for the youngest and oldest members of our human family. Since our founding in 1972, we have remained steadfast in our mission to educate the public on life issues, support legal protections for women’s health, the elderly, disabled and unborn children and support prolife candidates. RLM has 80 affiliates across the state and more than 282,550 members. The organization achieved 229 electoral victories in 2024 alone. With more than 50 life-affirming protections passed into law, RLM estimates more than 269,633 lives have been saved by just one legal protection. For more information, visit rtl.org.
For more information:
Gracie Ivy O’Brien, Media Relations and Digital Director, (616) 532-2300, [email protected].