How anti-abortion forces are hijacking the legislative process in Michigan

After the governor vetoed a bill to ban abortion coverage, activists brought it back through a petition

Rick Snyder
(Image credit: (Bill Pugliano/Getty Images))

A year after Michigan Governor Rick Snyder vetoed a similar bill, it's looking increasingly likely that the Great Lakes State will ban insurance coverage of abortions even without his support.

Anti-abortion activists in Michigan have gathered enough signatures to force state lawmakers to take another vote on restrictions that would prohibit insurance companies from paying for abortions even in the cases of rape and incest. If the measure passes — which it most likely will since both the House and Senate have large anti-abortion majorities that signed the petition — it won't need the governor's signature to become law. A rarely-used procedural maneuver found in the state's constitution allows the petitioners to bypass Snyder.

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Laura Colarusso is a freelance journalist based in Boston. She has previously written for Newsweek, The Boston Globe, the Washington Monthly and The Daily Beast.