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Michigan Proposal B, Abortion Legalization to 20 Weeks Initiative (1972)
| Michigan Proposal B | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Election date November 7, 1972 | |
| Topic Abortion | |
Status Defeated | |
| Type State statute | Origin Citizens |
Michigan Proposal B, the Abortion Legalization to 20 Weeks Initiative, was on the ballot in Michigan as an indirect initiated state statute on November 7, 1972. The ballot measure was defeated.
A "yes" vote supported allowing physicians to perform abortions when a woman's period of gestation has not exceeded 20 weeks. |
A "no" vote opposed allowing physicians to perform abortions when a woman's period of gestation has not exceeded 20 weeks. |
Election results
|
Michigan Proposal B |
||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Result | Votes | Percentage | ||
| Yes | 1,270,416 | 39.35% | ||
|
|
1,958,265 | 60.65% | ||
Overview
What would Proposal B have changed about abortion law in Michigan?
Proposal B, a citizen-initiated ballot measure, was designed to legalize abortion for the "the period of gestation [that] has not exceeded 20 weeks."[1]
The then-existing law was passed in 1846 and considered performing an abortion to be a criminal offense except when "necessary to preserve the life of such woman." On August 23, 1972, which was 11 weeks before the vote on Proposal B, the Michigan Court of Appeals ruled that the 1846 legislation was invalid and unconstitutional.[2]
On November 7, 60.65% of voters rejected Proposal B, and the initiative was defeated.[3]
Text of measure
Ballot title
The ballot title for Proposal B was as follows:
| “ | PROPOSAL TO ALLOW ABORTION UNDER CERTAIN CONDITIONS. The proposed law would allow a licensed medical or osteopathic physician to perform an abortion at the request of the patient if, (1) the period of gestation has not exceeded 20 weeks, and (2) if the procedure is performed in a licensed hospital or other facility approved by the Department of Public Health. Should this proposed law be approved? | ” |
Support
The Michigan Abortion Referendum Committee led the campaign in support of the ballot measure. The Michigan Coordinating Committee for Abortion Law Reform (MCCARL) formed the committee to lead the petition drive and campaign.[4]
Supporters
Officials
- Gov. William G. Milliken (R)
Arguments
Opposition
The Voice of the Unborn Coalition led the campaign in opposition to the ballot measure. People Taking Action Against Abortion (PTAAA) and Grand Rapids Right to Life formed the coalition to lead the campaign.[5]
Opponents
Officials
- Detroit Mayor Roman Gribbs (D)
Arguments
Path to the ballot
The ballot measure was an indirect initiated state statute. Proponents needed to collect at least 212,493 valid signatures.[6] On April 6, 1972, the Traverse City Record-Eagle reported that more than 300,000 signatures were submitted, and 229,044 were verified.[7] The State Board of Canvassers certified the ballot initiative.[8]
As an indirect initiated state statute, the Michigan State Legislature could have approved the proposal within 40 days of the Board certifying petitions. The Legislature did not act on the indirect initiative, resulting in the measure going before voters.[8]
Opponents challenged the signatures in the courts. On September 8, the Michigan Supreme Court upheld a lower court's ruling that enough signatures were valid.[8]
See also
Footnotes
- ↑ The Evening News, "Abortion Proposal," October 3, 1972
- ↑ Michigan Court of Appeals, "People v. Nixon," August 23, 1972
- ↑ Michigan Department of State, "Initiatives and Referendums Under the Constitution of the State of Michigan of 1963," December 5, 2008
- ↑ University of Michigan Bentley Historical Library, "Michigan Abortion Referendum Committee Records: 1969-1972," accessed May 6, 2022
- ↑ Karrer, R. N. (1996). The Formation of Michigan's Anti-Abortion Movement 1967-1974. Michigan Historical Review, 22(1), 67-107.
- ↑ Ironwood Daily Globe, "Michigan Abortion Vote Petition Challenge Put Before Appeals Court," July 25, 1972
- ↑ Traverse City Record-Eagle, "Abortion Reformists Sure Their Petitions Are Valid," April 6, 1972
- ↑ 8.0 8.1 8.2 Bruning, R. M. (1973). Abortion Reform: An Analysis of the Reportage and Editorial Interpretation of Proposal B by Three Michigan Daily Newspapers in the General Election of 1972. M.A. Thesis, Michigan State University.
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State of Michigan Lansing (capital) |
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