a:1:{s:15:"field_news_body";a:1:{i:0;a:2:{s:5:"value";s:11210:"<p style="margin-bottom: 0px; font-style: normal; font-size: 18px; line-height: normal; font-family: Arial; min-height: 21px; "><span style="font-size: x-large; ">The abortion insurance initiative petition vote will be up for consideration and a possible vote this week in the legislature. Approval by the senate is expected but there is no guarantee. The vote in the House could be more problematic.&nbsp;</span></p>
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<p style="margin-bottom: 0px; font-style: normal; font-size: 18px; line-height: normal; font-family: Arial; "><span style="font-size: x-large; ">Hopefully the legislature will have the courage to address the issue and vote to pass it. If they do it will become law because the GOVERNOR CAN</span><span style="font-size: x-large; ">'</span><span style="font-size: x-large; ">T VETO IT like he did in the last legislative session.</span></p>
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<p style="margin-bottom: 0px; font-style: normal; font-size: 18px; line-height: normal; font-family: Arial; "><span style="font-size: x-large; ">The legislature could decide to not do anything and then it would be on the ballot for all Michigan voters to decide next year.</span></p>
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<p style="margin-bottom: 0px; font-style: normal; font-size: 18px; line-height: normal; font-family: Arial; "><span style="font-size: x-large; ">Let&rsquo;s help our elected leader decide the issue!</span></p>
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<p style="margin-bottom: 0px; font-style: normal; font-size: 18px; line-height: normal; font-family: Arial; "><span style="font-size: x-large; ">PLEASE CALL OR E-MAIL YOUR STATE SENATOR AND REPRESENTATIVE AND TELL THEM TO VOTE FOR APPROVAL OF THE INITIATIVE PETITION</span></p>
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<p style="margin-bottom: 0px; font-style: normal; font-size: 18px; line-height: normal; font-family: Arial; "><span style="font-size: x-large; ">In Clinton County Call or e-mail:</span></p>
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<p style="margin-bottom: 0px; font-style: normal; font-size: 18px; line-height: normal; font-family: Arial; "><span style="font-size: x-large; ">Representative Tom Leonard</span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0px; font-style: normal; font-size: 18px; line-height: normal; font-family: Arial; color: rgb(140, 140, 140); "><span style="font-size: x-large; ">TomLeonard@house.mi.gov</span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0px; font-style: normal; font-size: 18px; line-height: normal; font-family: Arial; color: rgb(140, 140, 140); "><span style="font-size: x-large; ">Phone: (517) 373-1778</span></p>
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<p style="margin-bottom: 0px; font-style: normal; font-size: 18px; line-height: normal; font-family: Arial; "><span style="font-size: x-large; ">Senator Judy Emmons</span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0px; font-style: normal; font-size: 18px; line-height: normal; font-family: Arial; "><span style="font-size: x-large; ">(517) 373-3760</span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0px; font-style: normal; font-size: 18px; line-height: normal; font-family: Arial; "><span style="font-size: x-large; ">http://www.senate.michigan.gov/ima_form.asp?name=comment33&amp;form_path=e:/webforms/rep</span></p>
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<p style="margin-bottom: 0px; font-style: normal; font-size: 18px; line-height: normal; font-family: Arial; "><span style="font-size: x-large; ">Senator Rick Jones</span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0px; font-style: normal; font-size: 18px; line-height: normal; font-family: Arial; "><span style="font-size: x-large; ">(517) 373-3447</span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0px; font-style: normal; font-size: 18px; line-height: normal; font-family: Arial; "><span style="font-size: x-large; ">SenRJones@senate.michigan.gov</span></p>
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<p style="margin-bottom: 0px; font-style: normal; font-size: 18px; line-height: normal; font-family: Arial; "><span style="font-size: x-large; ">BACKGROUND ON THE INITIATIVE PETITION:</span></p>
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<p style="margin-bottom: 0px; font-style: normal; font-size: 18px; line-height: normal; font-family: Arial; "><span style="font-size: x-large; ">The State Board of Canvassers has unanimously certified an initiative petition that would make people purchase an&nbsp;</span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: x-large; font-style: normal; ">'</span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: x-large; font-style: normal; ">'</span><span style="font-size: x-large; font-family: Arial; font-style: normal; ">abortion rider</span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: x-large; font-style: normal; ">'</span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: x-large; font-style: normal; ">'</span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: x-large; font-style: normal; ">&nbsp;on insurance policies rather than offer it as a standard option to all policy holders.</span></p>
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<p style="margin-bottom: 0px; font-style: normal; font-size: 18px; line-height: normal; font-family: Arial; "><span style="font-size: x-large; ">The Legislature has strong anti-abortion majorities in both chambers and if they choose to take it up it has a good chance of passing and immediately becoming law. But Democrats and abortion rights supporters are trying to stop its passage.</span></p>
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<p style="margin-bottom: 0px; font-style: normal; font-size: 18px; line-height: normal; font-family: Arial; "><span style="font-size: x-large; ">Michigan Right to Life, which spearheaded the petition drive, argues no one should be forced to subsidize abortion &mdash; either through federally subsidized health exchange insurance plans or through the premiums they pay on private insurance.</span></p>
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<p style="margin-bottom: 0px; font-style: normal; font-size: 18px; line-height: normal; font-family: Arial; "><span style="font-size: x-large; ">If the petition becomes law, Michigan would join eight other states that have instituted policies prohibiting public and private insurance plans from including abortion coverage in health care policies. Another 15 states prohibit the coverage in insurance purchased through the health exchanges set up through the Affordable Care Act.</span></p>
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<p style="margin-bottom: 0px; font-style: normal; font-size: 18px; line-height: normal; font-family: Arial; "><span style="font-size: x-large; ">The initiative would require all private and public health insurance plans to offer a separate rider for an abortion. People would then have to buy that rider before knowing whether they would need an abortion and wouldn&rsquo;t be able to buy the rider after getting pregnant by any means, including rape or incest.</span></p>
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<p style="margin-bottom: 0px; font-style: normal; font-size: 18px; line-height: normal; font-family: Arial; "><span style="font-size: x-large; ">The number of abortions in Michigan hit a high of 49,098 in 1987, but has steadily decreased since, hitting a low of 22,357 in 2009. Last year, 23,230 abortions were performed in the state.</span></p>
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<p style="margin-bottom: 0px; font-style: normal; font-size: 18px; line-height: normal; font-family: Arial; "><span style="font-size: x-large; ">The Legislature has 40 session days to deal with the petition initiative.</span></p>
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<p style="margin-bottom: 0px; font-style: normal; font-size: 18px; line-height: normal; font-family: Arial; "><span style="font-size: x-large; ">The 40 day time period began on December 3 but the legislature will take a break when they adjourn in mid-December for three-weeks.</span></p>
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<p style="margin-bottom: 0px; font-style: normal; font-size: 18px; line-height: normal; font-family: Arial; "><span style="font-size: x-large; ">A majority of the members in both chambers signed the petition and backed legislation last year that did the same thing. That bill was vetoed by Gov. Rick Snyder, who called it an inappropriate intrusion into private health insurance.</span></p>
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