• Skip to main content
  • Skip to secondary menu
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
Catholic Review

Catholic Review

Inspiring the Archdiocese of Baltimore

Menu
  • Home
  • News
        • Local News
        • World News
        • Vatican News
        • Obituaries
        • Featured Video
        • En Español
        • Sports News
        • Official Clergy Assignments
        • Schools News
  • Commentary
        • Contributors
          • Question Corner
          • George Weigel
          • Elizabeth Scalia
          • Michael R. Heinlein
          • Effie Caldarola
          • Guest Commentary
        • CR Columnists
          • Archbishop William E. Lori
          • Rita Buettner
          • Christopher Gunty
          • George Matysek Jr.
          • Mark Viviano
          • Father Joseph Breighner
          • Father Collin Poston
          • Robyn Barberry
          • Hanael Bianchi
          • Amen Columns
  • Entertainment
        • Events
        • Movie & Television Reviews
        • Arts & Culture
        • Books
        • Recipes
  • About Us
        • Contact Us
        • Our History
        • Meet Our Staff
        • Photos to own
        • Books/CDs/Prayer Cards
        • CR Media platforms
        • Electronic Edition
  • Advertising
  • Shop
        • Purchase Photos
        • Books/CDs/Prayer Cards
        • Magazine Subscriptions
        • Archdiocesan Directory
  • CR Radio
        • CR Radio
        • Protagonistas de Fe
  • News Tips
  • Subscribe
Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer is seen in Pontiac, Mich., Sept. 21, 2021. (CNS photo/Rebecca Cook, Reuters)

Michigan governor vetoes budget funds for pregnancy, adoption resources

July 22, 2022
By Catholic News Service
Catholic News Service
Filed Under: Feature, News, Respect Life, World News

Share
Share on Facebook
Share
Share this
Pin
Pin this
Share
Share on LinkedIn

LANSING, Mich. (CNS) — Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer’s line-item veto of more than $20 million in funding to support adoption programs, pregnancy resource centers and grants to help struggling mothers is “terribly unfortunate,” the Michigan Catholic Conference said.

But it is “not unexpected,” given the governor’s history of pursuing a “zero-sum game of abortion extremism,” the conference said.

Whitmer used a line-item veto — a maneuver to eliminate specific funds from the annual budget approved by the state Legislature — to cut the funding July 20, a small fraction of more than $76 billion in funding for state priorities.

“Although terribly unfortunate, it is not unexpected that the governor would, again, take the extreme position of vetoing funding to help pregnant women in crisis,” said Rebecca Mastee, policy advocate for the Michigan Catholic Conference, which is the public policy arm of the state’s bishops.

“Vetoing this funding alienates tens of thousands of women and families who receive assistance from nonprofit pregnancy resource centers each year,” she said.

The veto is the second year in a row Whitmer has specifically removed funding for pregnancy centers and adoption programs, even as her administration pursues a reversal of Michigan’s long-standing 1931 ban on abortion.

The law, which is currently suspended by injunction, would have gone into effect upon the reversal of Roe v. Wade by the U.S. Supreme Court.

The governor’s vetoes eliminate $10 million that would have supported adoption programs in the state; $4 million in grants to assist pregnant women who lack a safe home and $3 million for a maternal navigator program to promote childbirth and alternatives to abortion.

She also cut $2 million in tax credits for parents who choose adoption; $1.5 million in grants for pregnancy resource centers; $700,000 for a program to assist pregnant women and those in crisis pregnancies; and $50,000 for materials to inform medical providers that the state will not use tax dollars to fund abortion.

“By eliminating these helping hands for women who want to have their babies, the governor is, in effect, taking away their ‘choice’ — the choice for childbirth,” Mastee said.

“These vetoes — along with some $16 million vetoed from last year’s budget that sought to help women in need — clarify that pro-abortion advocates have fully committed to push abortion extremism on our state over the well-being of women in need,” she added.

In a July 20 statement, the Michigan Catholic Conference applauded other elements of the budget, which includes funding to help schools address violence, expanded support for human trafficking victims, increased payments to foster care families and funding for school clothing and food subsidies for low-income families.

“From the perspective of the state budget as a moral statement, the budget that was signed today and the omnibus education budget that was signed last week, is good in many regards and disappointing in others,” said Tom Hickson, the conference’s vice president for advocacy and public policy.

“We are grateful that this budget contains important funding to help protect children in all of Michigan’s schools and provides important resources for the less fortunate. We are also pleased to see funding to research the root causes of violence in schools, especially gun violence,” he said.

“Both budgets, however, contained critical funding to provide expectant mothers with assistance in raising their babies,” Hickson added. “Sadly, these programs were vetoed by the governor as ‘anti-choice.’ This decision will harm women who choose to start a family. Michigan women deserve better.”

Read More Respect Life

Report: Some House GOP members object to removing Planned Parenthood funds from Trump bill

Knights of Columbus honored for pro-life support

Called to foster: Families welcome children with love

Trump administration seeks to have states’ mifepristone lawsuit dismissed

Johnson suggests Trump’s legislative agenda could ‘redirect’ funds from ‘big abortion’

Shilo IV Ministry offers hope, healing

Copyright © 2022 Catholic News Service/U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops

Print Print

Share
Share on Facebook
Share
Share this
Pin
Pin this
Share
Share on LinkedIn

Primary Sidebar

Catholic News Service

Click here to view all posts from this author

For the latest news delivered twice a week via email or text message, sign up to receive our free enewsletter.

| MOST POPULAR |

  • Chicago native Cardinal Prevost elected pope, takes name Leo XIV

  • Who was Pope Leo XIII, the father of social doctrine?

  • Kenyan cardinal claims he wasn’t invited for conclave; Vatican says invite is automatic

  • Advocates of abuse victims are rooting for a Filipino pope — and it’s not Cardinal Tagle

  • Full text of first public homily of Pope Leo XIV

| Latest Local News |

Catholic school students ‘elect’ pope in their own ‘conclave’

Baltimore-area Catholics pray for new pope, express excitement for his leadership

Archbishop Lori surprised, heartened by selection of American pope

Missionary discipleship sees growth after Seek the City initiative

Knights of Columbus honored for pro-life support

| Latest World News |

Pope Leo prays for vocations, for peace and for mothers on Mother’s Day

Pope Leo: A pope is nothing more than a humble servant

French town near city with papal history to mark 100 years since Martyrs of Orange beatification

Pilgrim Passport to 3 Wisconsin Marian shrines help faithful mark their Jubilee journey

Pope Leo to inaugurate his papacy May 18; a look at his May calendar

| Catholic Review Radio |

CatholicReview · Catholic Review Radio

Footer

Our Vision

Real Life. Real Faith. 

Catholic Review Media communicates the Gospel and its impact on people’s lives in the Archdiocese of Baltimore and beyond.

Our Mission

Catholic Review Media provides intergenerational communications that inform, teach, inspire and engage Catholics and all of good will in the mission of Christ through diverse forms of media.

Contact

Catholic Review
320 Cathedral Street
Baltimore, MD 21201
443-524-3150
mail@CatholicReview.org

 

Social Media

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Twitter
  • YouTube

Recent

  • Pope Leo prays for vocations, for peace and for mothers on Mother’s Day
  • Pope Leo: A pope is nothing more than a humble servant
  • Catholic school students ‘elect’ pope in their own ‘conclave’
  • French town near city with papal history to mark 100 years since Martyrs of Orange beatification
  • Pilgrim Passport to 3 Wisconsin Marian shrines help faithful mark their Jubilee journey
  • Who is our new pope, Pope Leo XIV?
  • Pope Leo to inaugurate his papacy May 18; a look at his May calendar
  • Report: Some House GOP members object to removing Planned Parenthood funds from Trump bill
  • Movie Review: ‘Another Simple Favor’

Search

Membership

Catholic Media Assocation

Maryland-Delaware-DC Press Association

The Associated Church Press

© 2025 CATHOLIC REVIEW MEDIA, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED