alternatehistory.com

October 29, 1967

Michigan considers controversial abortion bill

This week, the Michigan State Senate will vote on a bill that would decriminalize abortion in Michigan. The proposed bill would overturn a 1931 law that made abortion illegal in the state. The sponsor of the bill, State Senator John McCauley (D-Wyandotte), first introduced the measure in March. [1] Despite strong opposition from Catholic organizations, the bill has considerable bipartisan support. The bill permits abortion in the case of rape or incest, as well as pregnancies that would result in severe mental or physical defects. If passed, Michigan would become the fourth state legalizing abortion, joining Colorado, North Carolina, and California. [2] There has been no word from Governor Romney on whether he would veto the bill in the event it passes in the state legislature.

Dr. Albert E. Heustis, Michigan’s top public health officer, endorsed the principle of the Senate bill to legalize abortions. “[If] there is a reasonable chance the child will be deformed, the general feeling as that if she felt unable to face such a situation, relief should be sought.” [3]

Abortion advocates and anti-nuclear activists alike have used the possibility of an increase in birth defects as a result of the Fermi meltdown as a reason to push for their respective causes. They warn of a “generation of mutants” worse than the recent thalidomide crisis, where children are commonly born with hideous deformities, missing limbs, and other genetic abnormalities. [4] They point to examples like a baby boy named James, who was recently born without a right hand. [5] Although James was born 75 miles away from the Fermi plant in Flint, his mother spent six months during her pregnancy living with relatives in the Detroit suburb of Bloomfield Township, only 40 miles north of the site of the meltdown. [6] Some believe that James’ birth defect is a direct result of the Fermi meltdown a year ago.

Developments abroad point toward a global shift in public opinion on the issue. Two days ago, the British Parliament passed the Abortion Act, which allows doctors to legally perform abortions, under certain conditions. A similar bill has been proposed in Canada by Minister of Justice Pierre Trudeau. [7] Fears about the effects of radiation exposure on fetuses, particularly in southern Ontario, has been part of the motivation to liberalize the country’s abortion laws.