Morning Briefing: 1931 abortion ban repealed by Michigan lawmakers heads to Whitmer

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Morning Briefing

THURSDAY, MARCH 9, 2023

In today's newsletter, Michigan lawmakers repealed a 1931 abortion ban and now awaits Whitmer's signature, rare clear sky over Great Lakes revealed melting snow and little ice, and Michigan codifies LGBTQ protections into state’s civil rights act.

Let's start Thursday off on a positive note.

I'm a sucker for all things that pull at your heartstrings, especially if it involves animals. You might understand why these headlines from around Michigan felt a little smile-inducing. Like this story of a dog that's safely back with its owner after it fell nearly 20 feet into an icy filtration pond in Muskegon Heights this week.

Visitors and staff at the Detroit Zoo are welcoming back Nuka, a beloved polar bear, after saying goodbye to him a year ago. Over in Grand Rapids, the John Ball Zoo bid farewell and held a retirement party for several of its senior goats and sheep from the petting zoo exhibit.

Hopefully those stories brought a glimmer of light to your Thursday morning. Let's dive into more headlines below.

Curated by Cara Hackett

The Mackinac Bridge connects Michigan’s upper and lower peninsulas between Mackinaw City at the south end of the bridge and St. Ignace at the north end. (MLive photo)

1931 abortion ban repealed by Michigan lawmakers, bill headed to Whitmer’s desk

Getting rid of the ban: A busy day in the legislature Wednesday, March 8, saw the state Senate move to approve a bill that would repeal Michigan’s 1931 law to ban abortion. The Senate passed six bills involving abortion — four from the Senate and two from the House — Wednesday along party lines.

Almost 2.5 million Michiganders approved making abortion a constitutional right in the November midterm elections, essentially nullifying the statute that criminalized abortion and other related laws. But since winning the majority in the legislature, Democrats have made it a top priority to take these “zombie laws” completely off the books.

Commission ready for complaints: After two back-to-back winter storm knocked out electricity to hundreds of thousands, the Michigan Public Service Commission has scheduled three public forums to take comment on outages and public utilities.

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Rare clear sky over Great Lakes reveals melting snow and little ice.

Here comes the sun: Full sunshine graced Michigan on Tuesday thanks to a dry air mass dominated by Canadian high pressure. This combination made it difficult for clouds to even form. Because of this, we were treated to a beautiful view from space as seen on this satellite picture.

A look ahead: Friday's snowstorm won't be one to remember, but it’s a widespread steady, light-to-moderate snow coming to the southern two-thirds of Lower Michigan. The weather update shows the storm is moving faster with the heaviest snow area more in focus.

Not so wintery : If you thought this winter has been a wimpy one in southeast Michigan, you are correct. The temperatures were much warmer than normal, making this the top 10 warmest winters for Southeast Michigan, Detroit, Ann Arbor, Flint and Saginaw.

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Michigan to codify LGBTQ protections into state’s civil rights act.

Legal protections for LGBTQ Michiganders will soon be included under the state’s civil rights law after House lawmakers voted in favor of extending the Elliott-Larsen Civil Rights Act to include sexual orientation and gender identity.

More on that: “No one should be afraid to go to work, or school, in fear of their safety,” said Rep. Mike McFall, D-Hazel Park, who is openly gay. “It’s long past time for us to amend Michigan’s civil rights law so we can make our state a place where everyone is welcome, regardless of who they love or how they identify.”

Speaking of politics: The Michigan House voted to repeal the decades old ‘right-to-work’ law amid partisan uproar. The House also passed legislation that would restore the state’s practice of paying union wages on all state projects, a policy known as prevailing wage.

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Big Ten Tournament: Michigan vs. Rutgers is battle of desperate teams.

Wolverines vs. Scarlet Knights: Befitting the “one game at a time” mantra he’s preached all season, Michigan’s head coach Juwan Howard is solely focused on the Big Ten Tournament opener with Rutgers. Here's why Thursday's game is a battle of two desperate teams.

Lions free agent preview: Jamaal Williams and the Lions have started contract negotiations, each stating their mutual interest in a reunion. Williams expressed his case after the season ended, with general manager Brad Holmes updating the situation last week at the scouting combine.

‘I’m lucky to be alive:’ Owen Telgenhof, 17, a multi-sport athlete at Zeeland West High School, suffered a severe brain injury in an Oct. 20 broadside collision with a gravel truck. But after a strong recovery, he’s expected to leave the hospital this week.

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Michigan is home to the 3rd most popular tourist attraction in the US.

In the top three:The team at vacation site Family Destinations Guide ranks the Mackinac Bridge ahead of some of the most famous tourist attractions in the U.S., like Central Park and the National Mall. The "Mighty Mac" came in at the third most popular tourist attraction in the country.

Start your engine: The Michigan Department of Natural Resources has announced the dates for this year’s two Free ORV Weekends: June 10-11 and Aug. 19-20. The annual events allow off-road vehicles to ride on Michigan’s 4,000 miles of motorized trails and the state’s six scramble areas without a permit or license.

Mark your calendar: CannaBash, a large outdoor cannabis festival, is returning to Muskegon this summer with rapper Ludacris as its headline entertainer.

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We'll see you back here tomorrow.

Thanks for starting your day off with the Morning Briefing.

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I hope you continue to find joy today.

— Cara Hackett

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