Right to Life of Michigan on the Future of Planned Parenthood, Roe v. Wade
Would defunding Planned Parenthood be unconstitutional? Right to Life of Michigan’s Ed Rivet isn’t buying it.
This week on Detroit Today, Stephen Henderson spoke with experts about the legal ramifications of defunding Planned Parenthood, as well as what the future holds for Roe v. Wade.
Henderson spoke with Wayne State University Distinguished Professor of Law Robert Sedler, who argues that defunding Planned Parenthood would be unconstitutional.
That’s because the U.S. Constitution bans Congress from punishing organizations for providing services that are constitutionally protected.
In this case, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in Roe v. Wade that abortion is a protected right.
To get an opposing view of Sedler’s argument, Henderson spoke briefly with Right to Life of Michigan Legislative Director Ed Rivet. However, when the program ended, that conversation was cut short. Henderson picks up the conversation a day later with Rivet to have a deeper conversation about his views on the issue.
“The court said very clearly as far back as (the late 1970s) that there is not a governmental obligation to fund abortion,” says Rivet. “It’s been settled for a very long time.”
Click on the audio player above to hear the full conversation.
