The American Civil Liberties Union is pouring millions of dollars into state Supreme Court elections in Michigan and Montana.
The organization said it would be spending $2.3 million in the Supreme Court and select House races in Michigan to inform voters about civil liberties and rights, including abortion, through paid advertising, according to a press release on Thursday.
The ACLU Voter Education Fund will spend $2 million in the state Supreme Court race, while the ACLU will spend $300,000 on House races for Districts 25, 55 and 103 in Michigan, which includes areas in Wayne, Oakland, Benzie, Grand Traverse and Leelanau counties.
“Michigan voters made it abundantly clear that protecting reproductive rights, including abortion, is a priority,” said Merissa Kovach, political director of the ACLU of Michigan.
“Our aim is to ensure the gains we have made in Michigan stay won. It is imperative that voters are aware of each candidate’s record on reproductive freedom, voting rights, LGTBQ rights, and other civil rights and liberties before casting their votes. The Michigan Supreme Court is key to protecting our rights for years to come,” she added.
And last week, the ACLU said it would invest $1.3 million in Montana’s Supreme Court races through paid advertising on key issues, including abortion.
Akilah Deernose, executive director of ACLU of Montana, said extreme politicians in Montana have made it clear they want to take away fundamental rights like autonomy over personal medical decisions.
“From abortion to marriage equality and Indigenous voting rights, the people we entrust with seats on the Supreme Court of Montana will play a critical role in determining whether we keep the rights Montanans value or whether politicians will be allowed to take away our freedom. The ACLU and ACLU of Montana are fighting to ensure voters know where Supreme Court candidates stand on these issues so that they can cast an informed ballot this November,” said Ms. Deernose.
In 2022, the U.S. Supreme Court overruled Roe v. Wade, the 1973 landmark decision that gave women a national right to abortion. The justices sent the issue of abortion back to the states, which have now moved to implement their own regulations.
According to the Guttmacher Institute, 14 states have moved to totally ban abortion while 27 states have bans around the 18-week mark. Nine states and Washington, D.C., do not have any restrictions on abortion.
Officials in Montana have looked to restrict abortion, with one bill limiting it at 15 weeks. The restrictions are caught up in court challenges.
Meanwhile, abortion is legal throughout pregnancy in Michigan after the state adopted a constitutional amendment in 2022.
Penny Nance, president of Concerned Women for America, said the left is well funded, noting Melinda Gates’ $1 billion donation to Planned Parenthood, which she announced in May.
“The pro-life movement has always been underfunded. Our power lies in our unrelenting resolve to pray and act to support the innocent. Our supporters are not billionaires but everyday Americans who love babies and their mothers,” Ms. Nance said.
• Alex Swoyer can be reached at aswoyer@washingtontimes.com.
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