Letter to the Editor
By David Leyton, Genesee County Prosecutor
As county prosecutor, it is my top duty to protect the health and safety of the citizens of Genesee County. This is one of the many reasons I am supporting Proposal 3, which restores the right to reproductive freedom in Michigan’s constitution — a right that has existed for nearly 50 years. Without Proposal 3, an archaic 1931 law in Michigan that bans abortions and other forms of pregnancy-related care will go into effect. This law had been unenforceable until Roe v. Wade was overturned in June.
Proposal 3 ensures women have the freedom to make deeply personal decisions about their own bodies, and safeguards physicians from being prosecuted for providing safe and medically necessary reproductive care – for which they all took an oath to do. It keeps politicians “out of the exam room,” which they have no business being in.
The fear mongering perpetuated by the opposition is an unfortunate tactic being used to scare people into voting no. Here are the facts: Parental consent laws will remain the same and abortions will continue to be performed by only qualified, licensed physicians, just as they were under Roe. It’s really quite simple – voting yes on 3 simply restores the rights that have already existed in Michigan since 1973. Abortion will continue to be highly regulated, as it is currently in Michigan.
As county prosecutor, I’d like to focus on putting real criminals behind bars; not women and doctors for making decisions about what’s best for their health. I encourage everyone to vote yes on Proposal 3.
David Leyton, Genesee County Prosecutor
Editors’ Note: The opinions expressed here are the writer’s alone. East Village Magazine does not take positions on electoral issues.
