LANSING (WWJ) – On what has been a busy day in Lansing, the Michigan Senate has voted to repeal the state's 1931 abortion ban.
After the House approved the legislation last week, the Senate voted 20-18 along party lines on Wednesday, which also happens to be International Women's Day.
It now goes to Gov. Gretchen Whitmer's desk to be signed into law.
The simple bill states that two sections of the state's penal code be repealed. The sections, part of Act 328 of 1931, outlawed administering drugs to procure a miscarriage, except for saving the life of the mother, and banned the sale, advertisement and procurement of drugs that produce abortion.
While Michigan voters overwhelmingly passed Proposal 3 in last November's election, effectively codifying abortion rights in the state constitution, Wednesday's repeal will prevent the 1931 law from ever being enforced.
The passage of the bill comes on the same day the Michigan House voted to expand the Elliott-Larsen Civil Rights Act, adding protections for LGBTQ+ residents.
Also on Wednesday the House Labor Committee advanced legislation that would repeal the state's right-to-work law, while the House Judiciary Committee approved legislation that requires a license or background check for anyone buying a gun.
