Updates About Public Health

The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS) announced the creation of eleven Regional Health Advisory Councils across the state. These Councils are designed to combat health disparities in both rural and underserved communities.

Composed of community organizations, the Regional Health Advisory Councils will serve populations disproportionately impacted by COVID-19. They will be tasked with reducing COVID disparities in minority populations, planning reduction of community-identified priority risk factors, developing and implementing practices and policies to promote equity and reduce disparities, efficiently and equitably distributing resources to communities, and developing community-driven decision making and priority setting.

They will be funded by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and Center for State, Tribal, Local, and Territorial Support grant. The following counties will have an established council: Genesee, Ingham, Kent, Oakland, Ottawa, Macomb, Muskegon, Saginaw, Washtenaw, Wayne, and the City of Detroit.

Michigan continues to grapple with the new reproductive health landscape in the wake of the U.S. Supreme Court’s overturning of Roe vs. Wade and Planned Parenthood vs. Casey.

Most recently, on July 29, Court of Claims Judge Elizabeth Gleicher, who issued the injunction temporarily blocking the state’s 1931 abortion ban, denied a motion from Republicans in the Legislature to disqualify her from the case Planned Parenthood vs. Attorney General, challenging the constitutionality of the 1931 law. Concerns from Republicans stemmed from Judge Gleicher’s previous ties to Planned Parenthood and personal campaign contributions to Governor Gretchen Whitmer and Attorney General Dana Nessel.

On Monday, August 1, pro-choice advocates were dealt a temporary blow when the Court of Appeals ruled that the abortion ban does not apply to local county prosecutors (who are not under the jurisdiction of the Michigan Attorney General), potentially opening the door for felony charges to be brought against physicians who perform abortions. Hours later, however, Oakland County Circuit Court Judge Jacob Cunningham granted Governor Gretchen Whitmer’s request for a temporary restraining order to prohibit enforcement of Michigan’s 1931 statute criminalizing abortion. In effect, local county prosecutors remain prohibited from criminally prosecuting abortion in Michigan while the order is pending.

During a hearing on August 3 in the Oakland County Circuit Court, the restraining order was extended and another hearing on August 17 was scheduled. It is possible the order could be extended for an indeterminate period of time. Separately, Governor Gretchen Whitmer’s newest filing calls on the Supreme Court to immediately consider the April lawsuit which asked the court to decide if the state’s constitution protects the right to abortion.

On June 28, the Michigan Supreme Court ruled 6-0 that the Attorney General’s use of a one-person grand jury system could not issue indictments, and anyone charged under the system has the right to a preliminary examination. This was seen as a win for the Flint Water Crisis defendants; however, the ruling did not throw out the suit entirely.

Solicitor General Fadwa Hammoud and Wayne County Prosecutor Kym Worthy filed two sets of motions with the Genesee County Circuit Court. The first motions ask for the cases to be remanded to the District Court for preliminary exams in compliance with the Michigan Supreme Court. The second motions inform the court that the cases will proceed upon formal complaint.

All criminal charges that were announced last year can be found here.