CANNON TOWNSHIP, Mich. — Leaders in Cannon Township and Kent County Prosecutor Chris Becker held a town hall on Proposal 3 Thursday.
Supervisor Steve Grimm said it was meant to be an informative meeting so people could hear about Becker's concerns with the new constitutional right.
Proposal 3 enshrined a Michigander's right to reproductive services, including abortion.
According to Becker, the new right is too broad and may interfere with his ability to enforce laws related to certain prohibited sexual activity, like statutory rape.
Prior to the November election, he and 11 other county prosecutors sent a letter raising their concerns.
Becker made clear his office will continue to prosecute criminal sexual conduct cases.
However, he fears because the language of Proposal 3 promises, “every individual a fundamental right to reproductive freedom” a 15-year-old could, for example, decline to press charges against a 25-year-old who had sex with them because the state constitution gives them the chance to make their own decisions about sex, although no such claims have been made since Proposal 3 passed.
Becker went on to say the proposal's vagueness creates circular reasoning that will eventually lead to the courts defining what it means.
He noted that could take a while and potentially result in drastic interpretations.
Supervisor Steve Grimm said because the new right potentially puts the health, safety and welfare of children in the area at risk, the township felt the need to hold the meeting.
“It seems like to me there’s an opening here, maybe with people that are on opposite sides of the spectrum of this issue, because I don’t think it’s political, I think it’s about kids and that’s not political, but it seems like to me if we can get a dialogue going and we can get people together, maybe we can get another amendment to the constitution amending this, that would make it clear that this is what the voters want - they didn’t want this because this was confusing,” said Grimm.
Last November, trustees passed a resolution that “officially disagreed” with parts of Proposal 3.
A handful of people at Thursday’s meeting pushed back at Becker’s reasoning, saying it was too hypothetical and did not make sense.
One attorney in attendance pointed out that the plain language of the new right says it’s about matters related to pregnancy, not sex.
“This is about being pregnant, using contraceptives, sterilization… it’s all related to healthcare, reproductive choice,” she said. “I think it’s a really long stretch, a big stretch to say that a court, a judge in Kent County or any surrounding around here, is going to say, ‘You have the right to have sex with a 12-year-old or a 12-year-old has the right to have sex with a 20-year-old because it’s a matter related to pregnancy.’”
Watch the full town hall meeting:
