The House Judiciary Committee today approved a plan introduced by state Rep. Pamela Hornberger to protect a mother and child from a dismemberment abortion.

A dismemberment abortion, or “dilation and evacuation” (D&E), is an abortion in which a health care worker intentionally uses any instrument, device, or object to dismember a living fetus out of a uterus.

The legislation from Hornberger is part of a package to ban the procedure and create penalties for violators.

“This plan prohibits this barbaric method of termination known as dismemberment abortion,” said Hornberger, of Chesterfield Township. “We must defend human life and not promote this gruesome, horrific and cruel procedure from occurring.”

Eleven states already have had legislation signed into law that bans dismemberment abortions.

According to the data published by the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services, there were 1,777 D&E abortions in Michigan in 2017. That is nearly 5 dismemberment abortions per day, every day in 2017.

House Bill 4320 now moves to the full House floor for consideration.

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