Michigan voters are casting ballots for the next President of the United States.

Perhaps no issue is more divisive among Michigan voters as abortion.

Michiganders are talking about what kind of presidential leadership they would like to see when it comes to abortion and reproductive health care.

Abortion is, of course, a very personal issue.

Stephanie Jones didn’t want to undergo an abortion. But a medical emergency made it necessary. She believes if Michigan had the same anti-abortion laws on the books that some other states have, she would not have survived.

Jones wants to see presidential leadership tempered with “empathy” when it comes to abortion.

“First, they have to be empathic and understand what it is like to go through that because how can you lead and govern if you aren’t understanding of the people’s struggle. That’s the proof of a good leader,” said Jones. “You don’t have to have the struggle yourself, but you have to at least be willing to listen and understand the nuances.”

But for those against abortion rights, now that the U.S. Supreme Court has left the issue up to the states, they want presidential leadership to focus elsewhere.

Trevor Polo is with Protect Life Michigan. He wants to see presidential leadership to address issues, like economic and family life, that often lead to women seeking abortions.

“I’d like to see whoever the president might be talking about solving those real issues,” said Polo. “ But not sacrificing rights of unborn children in the process.”

For Michigan doctors, the debate over abortion and reproductive health care shows different needs that could be influenced by the next president.

Dr. Katherine Stark has been a practicing OB-GYN for more than three decades in southeast Michigan. These days she’s the medical director at several reproductive health centers that try to provide an option to pregnant women who might otherwise consider abortion.

Stark said she would like the next president to prioritize life, including increasing funding for reproductive health care.

“Whether you’re poor or you’re wealthy or anywhere in between, you should be able to access excellent care for yourself and your family without worrying about doctors and clinics can’t take my insurance because Medicaid pays so poorly,” said Stark.

Many Michiganders are also concerned that the debate over abortion is spilling over into other aspects of reproductive health care; in particular they are concerned about the future of in vitro-fertilization or IVF.

Dr. Molly Moravek is a fertility specialist. For the past decade, she has helped many Michigan couples and individuals struggling to have children.

She’s not sure she wants to see presidential actions when it comes to abortion and reproductive health care.

“What I’d really like to see is someone who moves toward giving that autonomy back to physicians and their patients, and what happens in the clinic between us,” said Moravek. “Because every patient situation is different, and so it’s really hard to say this policy is right or wrong, ’cause it’s not right or wrong for everybody.”

Former President Donald Trump says he wants to leave abortion decisions to the states, while Vice President Kamala Harris favors congressional action to protect access to abortion and other reproductive health care options.

You can learn more here about how all the presidential candidates on the Michigan ballot stand on this and other issues.

Detroit is another step closer to passing an ordinance that would put some limits on protesters outside health care facilities.

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The proposed ordinance would create a 100-foot zone where protesters could not come within eight feet of a patient entering the facility without their consent. It would also restrict people from gathering or picketing within 15 feet of the entrance.

While the ordinance would apply to any health care facility in the city, supporters say it’s most needed at clinics providing abortion services. Abortion rights opponents call it a violation of their First Amendment rights.

Monica Miller is a self-identified “pro-life sidewalk counselor” who said she’s been doing that in Detroit “for literally decades.” She told council members during a hearing Monday that a buffer zone would restrict them from engaging in “real human interaction.”

“We approach the moms. We accompany them. We talk to them,” Miller said. “We show them love and compassion and give them real material help so that they will turn away from their decision to abort their children.”

But ordinance supporters say that’s exactly the point. They say patients at clinics are routinely harassed and intimidated by protesters, often by people who come from outside the city or state to do so.

Council member Gabriela Santiago-Romero, who’s sponsoring the proposed ordinance, said she witnessed such tactics during a recent clinic visit. She said one man who mistook her for a patient approached her directly, using inflammatory language meant to inflict “psychological pain.”

“So we do have people from outside of the city coming and telling our residents what to do with their bodies,” Santiago-Romero said. “And quite frankly, it is not all peaceful.”

A person found guilty of violating the ordinance would be subject to a misdemeanor penalty and fine. The council is expected to hold a final vote on the issue next week.

-Reporting by Sarah Cwiek, Michigan Public

Other headlines for Tuesday, Oct. 1, 2024:

• A new report on Michigan’s economy from the Michigan Center for Data and Analytics shows more residents have jobs now than at any time in the past 20 years. 
• The Dorothy and Peter Brown Jewish Community Adult Day Program will be offering a dementia-friendly Kol Nidre/Yom Kippur service at 11 a.m. this Sunday for the Jewish High Holidays. 
• This Wednesday is Student Count Day in Michigan — one of two days during the school year when school attendance is used to determine school funding. 
• The city of Detroit is offering free flu vaccinations from noon-3 p.m. on Wednesday, Oct. 9 at the Coleman A Young Municipal Center. Those interested are asked to register at flu.vna.org and enter the Clinic ID 2654 and the Clinic Passcode xtuca8m. Complete and bring the Assessment and Consent Form from the registration site along with a valid ID and medical card.  

Do you have a community story we should tell? Let us know in an email at detroiteveningreport@wdet.org.