Democrat Governor agrees to abortion regulation

The Detriot Free Press reports:

Gov. Jennifer Granholm will sign into law a bill requiring Michigan abortion providers to give a pregnant woman the option of viewing ultrasound images of her fetus before performing an abortion, according to her spokeswoman.

It would mark the first time Granholm has agreed with the Legislature's anti-abortion majority on a measure to regulate the procedure. The bill, which moved quietly through the Legislature, is an expansion of the state's so-called informed consent law.

Granholm spokeswoman Liz Boyd said Sunday that the governor would sign the bill, which an abortion-rights advocate said is an effort to create a barrier to abortion. Boyd said the legislation was developed in cooperation with abortion-rights organizations and won't change current practice.

It will be interesting to see how the Democratic party interest groups respond to this kind of regulation over time.