December 6th, 2011 by Glenn Sacks
Fathers and Families has joined with the ACLU of Michigan in opposing the Michigan’s Coercive Abortion Prevention Act (CAPA). Fathers and Families does not take a position on abortion, but we do oppose CAPA because it criminalizes men’s personal relationship choices. To learn more about the problems with CAPA, see our Action Alert: Write, Call to Defeat Michigan Legislation Targeting Husbands, Boyfriends.
Members of the Michigan House Committee on Families, Children and Seniors have received many letters from Fathers and Families supporters opposing CAPA. Our arguments didn’t convince Representative Kurt Heise–he has responded to us below.
One point of clarification–we don’t oppose the provisions of CAPA which deal with violence or threats of violence–as our posts and letters made clear, what we oppose are provisions which deal with men’s personal and financial decisions.
Representative Heise wrote:
Thank you for contacting my office to express your thoughts on the Coercive Abortion Prevention Act (CAPA) bills.
I intend to support House Bills 5057, 4799, 4798, 5182, and 5134 concerning coercive abortions in Michigan. Based on verbal and written testimony before the Children’s Families & Seniors Committee, I believe that many expectant mothers who would otherwise choose to carry their child to term have been coerced, threatened, and even abused by individuals who wish to reverse the woman’s decision. Such coercion is an affront to public policy and the rights of the expectant mother.
The bills, known as the Coercive Abortion Protection Act (CAPA) would prohibit persons from coercing a pregnant woman to have an abortion by committing, attempting to commit, or maliciously threatening to commit the crimes of stalking, attempting to stalk, or an assaultive crime against the woman. It also prohibits coercion by contract, denial of employment opportunities, and other monetary and non-monetary coercive acts.
Once again, thank you for contacting my office. If you have any questions, please contact me directly at (517) 373-3816. It is truly a privilege to represent you and the constituents of the 20th District in Lansing.
Sincerely,
Kurt Heise
State Representative
20th District