Michigan repeals 1931 abortion ban

Michigan Democratic Gov. Gretchen Whitmer signed into law on Wednesday a measure repealing the state's 1931 abortion ban that made no exceptions for rape or incest.

The ban had gone unenforced since the 1973 Roe v. Wade decision that established a constitutional right to the procedure, while a state judge declared it unconstitutional after the high court overturned that precedent.

"This is not a trigger law, this is a zombie law. This predates Roe, and it’s a threat of coming back to haunt us all. Who wants to watch me slay a zombie?" Whitmer said while signing its repeal, The Hill reported.

"Today, we’re going to take action to ensure that our statutes, our laws reflect our values and our constitution. This is a long overdue step and it proves that when we keep fighting to protect everyone’s ability to make their own decisions about their bodies, we can win," she added.

A majority of states had significant restrictions on abortion prior to the Roe decision. Several of them have attempted to enforce their pre-Roe bans in the wake of the court's 2022 Dobbs v. Jackson decision while others enacted so-called "trigger laws" to ban the procedure upon such a court ruling.

Whitmer's move comes in contrast to deep-red states such as Florida, which have moved to restrict the procedure considerably. The Florida Senate approved a six-week abortion ban this week and the House is slated to consider the matter next week. The Republican majority in that chamber and Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis's support mean that it will likely become law.

Ben Whedon is an editor and reporter for Just the News. Follow him on Twitter.