Granholm expected to sign
ultrasound bill
Joe Kohn of The Michigan Catholic
Published March 24, 2006
Detroit – The more women know about abortion, the less likely they are to have one.
That's why a Michigan bill to be signed by Gov. Jennifer Granholm is so valuable — the resulting law will require a doctor to give a woman the option of viewing ultrasound photos of the unborn child she's contemplating to have killed.
"We believe it to be a common-sense piece of legislation that ensures women have another tool toward informed consent," said David Maluchnik, spokesman for the Lansing-based Michigan Catholic Conference, the Church's public policy voice in Michigan. "And we believe that this bill helps to fully inform the woman of the procedure that she is about to undergo."
The governor, through a spokeswoman, said last weekend she would sign the bill. It hadn't been signed as of the time this issue of The Michigan Catholic went to press March 21.
The legislation was introduced by Rep. Dave Robertson, R-Grand Blanc, and passed through the Michigan Legislature with overwhelming support. The legislation will expand Michigan's informed consent law, which is aimed at educating women about abortion.
Abortionists routinely perform ultrasound tests, though haven't yet been required to offer the resulting images to their clients.
The truth about abortion – that it kills a living human being and inflicts emotional and sometimes physical damage on women who seek the procedure – is the primary tool used by the Church, Right to Life and other pro-life organizations to discourage women from seeking abortions.
The ultrasound legislation marks the first time Gov. Granholm, who has supported abortion on demand and embryonic stem cell research, has agreed to sign legislation in line with the pro-life movement. The governor's support of the bill came after her public relations staff last year called it "gimmicky" and "ineffective" in dealing with unwanted pregnancies.
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