Michigan House Expected to Approve Ultrasound Before Abortion Bill 
Email this article
Printer friendly page
by Steven Ertelt
LifeNews.com Editor
May 17, 2005
Lansing, MI (LifeNews.com) — The Michigan state House is expected to approve legislation requiring abortion businesses to provide women with an opportunity to see the development of their unborn child through an ultrasound. Viewing an ultrasound often leads a woman considering an abortion to decide otherwise.
The Michigan House could vote on the measure, House Bill 4446 , as early as this week.
Abortion advocates oppose the legislation and Sarah Scranton, executive director of Planned Parenthood Affiliates of Michigan, told the Flint Journal newspaper, "We don’t think politicians should be playing doctor."
But Rep David Robertson, the sponsor of the proposal, says women aren’t obligated to view the ultrasound.
"There is nothing in the bill that compels the woman to view the image. The decision is entirely hers," he told the Journal.
Judy Climer, president of Flint Area Right to Life, says she asked Robertson to introduce the bill when she found out that women in her area considering abortions were not given access to fetal development information before making the decision.
Kasie Huffman, a 22 year-old Flint resident, told her town’s newspaper that she considered an abortion until she saw the ultrasound image of her baby.
"As soon as I saw the ultrasound, there was no way I was going to do it," she said. Huffman is now four months into the pregnancy.
Polls show women believe that ultrasounds are important for those considering abortion.
An August 2003 poll shows that an overwhelming majority (81 percent) of women support a pro-life bill that would fund grants to pregnancy centers in order to purchase ultrasound machines to show women contemplating abortion pictures of their developing baby.
Care Net President Kurt Entsminger said that, regardless of women’s views on abortion, "the vast majority agree that providing additional ultrasound services is worthwhile."
Nearly nine-in-ten women (87%) said that it is important for non-profit women’s health centers to provide ultrasound services, including a considerable majority (64%) who believe this is a "very important" priority.
Respondents also said it was important for women considering abortion to view ultrasound pictures.
The measure is expected to pass in the House with as many as 75 votes out of the 110 lawmakers.
Related web sites:
Michigan state legislature – https://www.michiganlegislature.org
Right to Life of Michigan – https://www.rtl.org
Care Net – https://www.care-net.org
