Michigan’s Democratic attorney general warned on Sunday that Republican-led states would start investigating and prosecuting abortion providers and abortion patients if Roe v. Wade is overturned by the Supreme Court.
Attorney General Dana Nessel told NBC’s “Meet the Press” that while she would “refuse to enforce laws that would endanger” women’s health, she believes more conservative leaders in offices across the country will criminalize abortion care, which could include the prosecution of doctors as well as women who take abortion pills.
“We’re talking about not just throwing providers and anybody who works for the provider under aiding and abetting theories in prison but also women themselves who procured abortion through abortion medication,” Nessel told moderator Chuck Todd. “It’s a really scary set of circumstances for women here in Michigan.”
A leaked draft opinion published last week by Politico showed the Supreme Court’s conservative majority was in favor of overturning the 1973 landmark ruling, which legalized abortion.
About 23 states have abortion bans that would go into effect if Roe v. Wade is overturned, while some, such as Oklahoma and Texas, have passed laws that would criminalize abortion and make providing it a felony.
Michigan also has a law banning abortions and making it a felony to perform an abortion procedure that would go into effect if Roe v. Wade is overturned. Last week, Nessel warned that county prosecutors could still enforce the law even if she doesn’t, according to Michigan Public Radio.
Nessel on Sunday warned that doctors and abortion providers will “be so afraid” if the court precedent is overturned. She called on Democrats to codify abortion rights into state law.
“If we have enough people that care about this issue and come out to vote in November, I see that happening,” she said of codifying abortion rights into state law. “Both of these forces of action need to occur in order to better protect women in our state.”