LANSING — Today, when signing the state’s next budget into law, Gov. Gretchen Whitmer vetoed language inserted in the budget by Republican leaders in the Legislature surrounding family planning services. The contents could have restricted access to these services as well as funding to entities providing abortion care. In response to this veto by Gov. Whitmer, Dr. Diana Davidson, a family medicine physician in west Michigan, released the following statement:
“As a physician, a woman, and a mother, I’m grateful to Governor Whitmer for standing up for the health of my patients and all Michiganders today with her decisions around the budget. From my years of experience as a doctor, I know how critical access to safe family planning and reproductive care is for the health of women, those who can get pregnant, and their families. Everyone in Michigan deserves to be able to safely access the care they need to have a family or not, and Governor Whitmer has helped protect those rights today with her leadership.”
Dr. Farhan Bhatti, a family physician in Lansing and Michigan State Lead for the Committee to Protect Health Care, said:
“While attacks are being waged against reproductive health care across the country, we’re fortunate here in Michigan to have Governor Whitmer defending health care. The Republican leaders in the Legislature who tried to insert cuts to family planning in the budget either don’t know or don’t care about the grave risks those could pose to the health and well-being of patients like the ones I care for every day. It’s critical that health care professionals and patients alike speak up against these attacks, and I applaud our governor for doing so in this important time.”
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