Anti-abortion Drive Continues

Anti-abortion petition drive continues,
without Right to Life

MICENTRAL.COM

LANSING, Mich. (AP) -- [...]
A newly formed group called Michigan Citizens for Life, relying on volunteers and a modest budget, wants to spark a challenge to the 1973 U.S. Supreme Court's Roe v. Wade decision legalizing abortion. The American Civil Liberties Union has said it would file a lawsuit to block the constitutional amendment if it makes the ballot and voters approve it. [...]

Right to Life of Michigan is not supporting the campaign, saying the proposal is technically flawed and not needed because the state already has a law on the books that could ban abortion if Roe v. Wade is overturned. [...]

Right to Life - considered one of the most influential lobbying groups in Michigan - has chosen to focus its resources on races for the state Legislature, governor and U.S. Senate in 2006.

Citizens for Life and Right to Life leaders say they taking different paths toward some of the same goals. [...]

But others who support the petition drive have clashed with Right to Life, including Republican U.S. Senate candidate Jerry Zandstra, a Cutlerville minister.

All three Republican U.S. Senate candidates - Zandstra, Troy minister Keith Butler and Oakland County Sheriff Michael Bouchard - oppose abortion. All three had met Right to Life's criteria to win the group's endorsement. [...]

All three Republicans want to challenge incumbent Democratic U.S. Sen. Debbie Stabenow. [...]