Now they are trying again, and not even Planned Parenthood is worried, because they have no chance.
MLiveThe group initially submitted about 380,000 signatures to the Michigan Bureau of Elections in an effort to define the procedure as a “dismemberment” abortion and make it a felony for a physician to perform one unless it was to save the life of the mother.
The bureau found the initiative came up 7,276 signatures short of the 340,047 signatures it was required to have, according to the bureau’s June 11 report. The review was based on a 500-signature sample.
Ballot drive to ban abortion procedure in Michigan short signatures, Bureau of Elections concludes
In its initial review, the Bureau of Elections staff recommended certification if more than 465 signatures were deemed valid, pulling a larger sample if at least 449 signatures are valid and denial if the total was lower than that. Michigan Values Life had 446 valid signatures in the sample, according to the report.
But instead of rejecting the proposal, the Board of State Canvassers directed the Bureau of Elections to examine a new, larger sample of 1,600 signatures.
“We are happy the Board of Canvassers saw reason today, and will allow another sample to be drawn,” Right to Life of Michigan President Barbara Listing said.
Lawyers for Michigan Values Life and lawyers for the Coalition to Protect Access to Care met with the Board of State Canvassers before the board made its decision, according to Tracy Wimmer, Director of Media Relations for the Secretary of State.
The bureau must make a recommendation on the new sample of signatures before July 24, which is when the board of canvassers must decide whether the petition gathered enough signatures.
If so, the legislature would have 40 days to take action, and could potentially approve the petition. If no action is taken, then the petition moves to the ballot in November.
Earlier this month, the group Coalition to Protect Access to Care challenged the petition and claimed there were at least 65 defective signatures in the 500-signature sample, including at least 21 duplicates.
Angela Vasquez-Giroux, a spokesperson for Planned Parenthood Advocates of Michigan, said the Board of State Canvassers decision “to ignore the recommendation of its professional staff that the Right to Life petition shouldn’t be certified violated its long-standing rules and procedures.”