House approves measure to ban dismemberment abortions

State Rep. Eric Leutheuser on Tuesday voted in support of a plan to protect a mother and child from a dismemberment abortion.

“We must recognize that unborn children feel pain and should be treated with respect and dignity like any other human being,” said Leutheuser, of Hillsdale. “I will continue this fight to protect the unborn.”

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

The plan approved by the House bans the procedure and defines penalties for workers who violate the act.

Abortion is the leading cause of death in Michigan. Twelve states already have had legislation signed into law that bans dismemberment abortions.

According to 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 five dismemberment abortions per day.

House Bills 4320 and 4321 now move to the Senate for consideration, where identical bills have been adopted.

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