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Proposal 3 passes in Michigan, legalizing abortion, ABC News projects

Posted at 12:09 AM, Nov 09, 2022
and last updated 2022-11-09 15:28:54-05

(WXYZ) — Michigan voters will pass Proposal 3, legalizing abortion and reproductive rights in the state after the fall of Roe v. Wade earlier this year, ABC News projects.

The proposal was one of the most-watched races across the country in a swing state like Michigan, and had money coming in from around the country for and against it.

Related: Proposal 1 passes in Michigan, changing term limits for legislature, AP projects
Related: Proposal 2 passes in Michigan, expanding voter rights in the state

Here's a look at the Prop 3 votes:

Prop 3 amends Michigan’s Constitution to guarantee that "every individual has a fundamental right to reproductive freedom," which would include the right to make decisions about pregnancy.

Those decisions would include "prenatal care, childbirth, postpartum care, contraception, sterilization, abortion care, miscarriage management, and infertility care."

The proposal will allow lawmakers to ban or regulate abortions "after fetal viability," which is usually around the 24-week mark. However, the state would not be able to regulate abortions that are medically necessary to protect the "physical or mental health" of the woman.

It would also prohibit the state from prosecuting anyone "based on their actual, potential, perceived, or alleged pregnancy outcome," which could include miscarriages, stillbirths or abortion.

Many people were against the proposal, and the group Citizens to Support MI Women and Children has been the main backer of ads and signs that encourage people to vote "No on Proposal 3."

They said it would "radically distort Michigan’s Constitution to create a new unlimited right to abortion, which would spill over and affect many other issues."

The nonprofit Citizens Research Council of Michigan released an analysis of the proposal in September that said there are many issues to consider when it comes to Proposal 3.

"The proposal’s language is broad and largely undefined, making it vulnerable to a host of legal challenges," they wrote in the "major issues to consider" section.