LANSING — A new report from the ACLU of Michigan advocates for the repealing of a state law that requires parents to give consent for a minor seeking an abortion.
Currently, anyone under 18 in Michigan must receive written consent from a parent or guardian, or receive approval from a judge, to get an abortion.
The report says that about 700 minors in Michigan, mostly 16- and 17-year-olds, receive abortions annually, and about 100 of those minors instead receive a bypass from a judge.
The ACLU says that the law disproportionately hurts those without stable family relationships and victims of abuse or neglect.
Democratic lawmakers significantly expanded abortion access in 2023 after retaking the state legislature and the passage of Proposal 3, which enshrined abortion rights in the state constitution. But some restrictions remained, including the parental consent law and a required 24-hour waiting period to receive the procedure.
Proposed repeals of those policies were dropped last year after a Democratic lawmaker said she wouldn’t vote for the legislation.
Right to Life Michigan, a prominent anti-abortion organization, has said in the past that they will continue to oppose efforts to remove state requirements for parental consent.
