Judge strikes down Michigan pro-life law

Judge Elizabeth Gleicher said Wednesday that a 1931 law that protects babies in every case except to save the life of the mother violates the Michigan Constitution. She classified abortion as “safe, routine medical care” and said denying it would be a violation of due process. Planned Parenthood sued in May and Gleicher blocked enforcement of the law. The judge acknowledged she was a regular donor to Planned Parenthood but did not recuse herself from the case. The Michigan Supreme Court is expected to vote by Friday on whether to put a provision to add abortion “rights” to the state constitution on the November ballot.

What’s happening in other states? South Carolina lawmakers debated a bill Wednesday that could protect babies in every case except to save the life of the mother. The bill had an exception for rape or incest before a committee voted Tuesday to amend it. Now, senators are debating whether the protections should apply to infants who have fatal conditions and cannot survive past birth. They also discussed increasing access to contraceptives.

Dig deeper: Read Leah Savas’ report in Vitals on Michigan’s abortion ballot initiative.