Longstanding Conscience Protections for Employers Set to Be Removed
Lansing, MI – Today, in a strict party-line vote (20-18), State Senators provided a final concurring vote to send an amendment to the Elliot Larson Civil Right Act to the governor for signature. The bill passed the State House yesterday with a 56-52 partisan vote. This bill, if signed, would mandate that all employer benefit plans that cover pregnancy now pay for elective abortions. Long-standing conscience protections will be stripped from employers who exercise their right to choose not to pay for abortions.
“State legislative leadership is continuing to rapidly push excessive proabortion legislation to Governor Whitmer’s desk. Proponents of Proposal 3 promised its passage would simply codify Roe v. Wade in Michigan but this bill is a significant departure from the Michigan that operated under Roe v. Wade,” stated Genevieve Marnon, Legislative Director, Right to Life of Michigan. “Employers will be forced to either violate their conscience or not provide employers with health benefits. Conscience rights were always protected in Michigan, even under the rule of Roe v. Wade.”
Marnon added, “Not only does this unprecedented bill strip conscience protections, but it also could force citizens to pay for others’ abortion by circumventing the abortion insurance opt-out law,”
Right to Life of Michigan is calling on Governor Whitmer to reject this radical attempt to strip common-sense conscience protections from Michigan employers.