Michigan
Is Michigan’s 24-hour abortion waiting period legal? Judge to decide in new trial underway
A trial has begun in a case that challenges Michigan abortion-related laws, including a 24-hour waiting period, with testimony focused on whether they place an undue burden on women seeking the procedure in the state.
The bench trial is taking place in Michigan’s Court of Claims in Detroit, where Northland Family Planning Center is asking Judge Sima Patel to rule unconstitutional three abortion regulations in state law — a mandatory 24-hour waiting period to terminate a pregnancy; requiring those seeking an abortion to obtain counseling and read information from the state before getting the procedure; and a ban on advanced-practice clinicians like physicians assistants and nurses performing an abortion.
The legality of the regulations came under scrutiny after Michigan voters approved a constitutional amendment in November 2022 creating a state-level right to have an abortion.
“Because I worked with lobbying legislators in Lansing, my understanding was (these regulations were) to make it more difficult for women to get abortions (and) to delay abortions,” said Renee Chelian, the executive director of Northland Family Planning Center. “My observation was (their intent was that) it would deter women and when they read the materials it would change their mind.”
The state, represented by fire-walled attorneys within Attorney General Dana Nessel’s office, said it intervened in the lawsuit after Nessel, the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services and the Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs signaled they would not defend the law against the challenge brought by Northland.
“The challenged statutory provisions do not unconstitutionally deny, burden, or infringe on an individual’s right to reproductive freedom under Michigan’s Constitution … and they do not discriminate in the protection or enforcement of this fundamental right,” the state’s attorneys said in their motion to intervene in the lawsuit.
Northland sued Nessel, LARA Director Marlon Brown and MDHHS Director Elizabeth Hertel. Nessel, Brown and Hertel said they would not defend the constitutionality of the laws.
Hertel said MDHHS did not have the legal authority to enforce the challenged laws, which is why the state intervened on behalf of the people of Michigan. Hertel said adding the state as a party was the only way for meaningful and complete relief for Northland.
The Reproductive Freedom For All Amendment requires the state not to “deny, burden, or infringe upon this freedom barring a compelling state interest to protect the health of the individual seeking care,” Patel wrote in her order granting a preliminary injunction in June.
“Additionally, any statute or regulation that does deny, burden, or infringe upon reproductive freedom must only do so in order to protect the patient’s health, achieve this goal by the least restrictive means, be consistent with accepted clinical standards of practice and evidence-based medicine, and not infringe upon an individual’s autonomous decision making.”
It appeared the laws Northland challenges, Patel wrote in her order, “are likely unconstitutional.” She will rule on the case after the trial, which is scheduled through Feb. 21.
Two people testified Thursday at the first day of the trial: Chelian and Dr. Charisse Loder, who works at the University of Michigan’s Women’s Clinic. None of the parties gave opening statements.
The law before the June preliminary injunction was granted required those pregnant to wait 24 hours to get an abortion after they received state-mandated informational materials. They either had to go to the clinic to get the materials or print them out themselves, both of which can cause hardship to people seeking an abortion, Chelian and Loder said.
Chelian and Loder said patients were often annoyed when they learned they could not have an abortion the day they made their appointment and would have to wait at least 24 hours for a new appointment.
“I observed people being frustrated, angry and upset that they had gotten a babysitter or a ride or taken a day off school or work, only to be turned away,” Chelian said. “They sometimes weren’t sure when they could come back, pushing them into another gestational limit or making it so they couldn’t get a medication abortion. … They couldn’t understand why the state had anything to do with this.”
The state argued that the 24-hour waiting period does not unduly burden access to abortion; instead it ensures people can exercise their right in an “informed, voluntary, and reflective manner.” Its attorneys asked Patel to affirm the laws and leave the question about any policy changes to the Legislature.
Appellate courts found that laws like the ones challenged by Northland did not constitute an undue burden on a woman’s right to reproductive freedom, the state wrote in its motion to intervene. The Michigan Court of Appeals found in 1992 that the objective of the laws was to ensure “a woman’s decision to obtain an abortion is informed, voluntary, and reflective.”
After the injunction, Chelian said employees at Northland spent less time on the phone talking about the state’s website with patients and can reduce waiting times for those who come in.
“It makes it much easier for them to get an appointment they want and have already made up their mind about,” Chelian said. “There’s no other medical procedure in this state where the patient is required to look at alternatives to the procedure they’re going to have.
“It’s biased, its unnecessary, it burdens the patient, there’s no reason for it. … It is not fair to make an assumption that they want something because you think it’s not a burden or someone else happens to think it’s not a burden.”
The delay and mandatory counseling were designed to pressure people into choosing to continue a pregnancy instead of having an abortion, the lawsuit said.
The lawsuit contended the law also forces patients to read irrelevant, misleading or stigmatizing information that may not apply to their circumstances for ending a pregnancy. Loder said the materials provided by the state are misleading, overplaying the risks of abortion and downplaying the risks of pregnancy.
“I don’t believe (the materials) help my patient make an autonomous decision,” Loder said.
The state argued that the informational materials also do not put an undue burden on abortion care, and is in keeping with the state’s interest to protect a patient’s health, as does the law limiting abortion providers to licensed physicians.
“Providing a patient with medically accurate information is not a burden to that patient, is it?” Assistant Attorney General Kendell Asbenson asked Loder.
“I don’t agree with that statement,” Loder said.
“It’s a burden to provide medically accurate information to a patient?” Asbenson said.
“I think it’s a burden to provide medically accurate information that is not relevant to the patient,” Loder said, saying it would not be helpful to provide Asbenson, a man, information about female reproductive health.
The trial continues Friday.
kberg@detroitnews.com
BROOKLYN, MI – It became anybody’s race after the leaders crashed on a restart with five laps to go.
Three overtimes later, Stewart Friesen was the surprise winner of the Michigan International Speedway NASCAR Truck Series race on Saturday, June 7.
Friesen was ninth on the first overtime, but advanced to fourth by the third overtime – which was prompted by multiple crashes. Friesen powered ahead of leader Grant Enfinger with two laps to go to take his first lead of the day and cruise to victory.
“It just got crazy there at the end. We were able to pick off a couple, pick off a couple and then we had a shot at it,” Friesen said.
Jack Wood (91) runs into the back of Ty Majeski (98) during the Craftsman Truck Series DQS Solutions and Staffing 250 Powered by Precision Vehicle Logistics at Michigan International Speedway in Brooklyn on Saturday, June 7, 2025. After nine cautions and three overtimes, Stewart Friesen (52) finished first.Ayrton Breckenridge | MLive.com
Friesen’s last win was in 2022. The 41-year-old from Niagara-on-the-Lake, Canada, slammed on his roof and climbed the fence in elation.
“Thank you to … all these bad-ass race fans,” Friesen said. “I know there’s a lot of Canadians, there’s a lot of Americans, everybody’s having a good time together and that’s what it’s all about, baby, yeah!”
Friesen’s hometown is about 300 miles east of MIS. The track is close enough to Canada that the Canadian National Anthem is performed before every race.
Friesen remembers visiting the track as a kid in 1994 – when Rusty Wallace celebrated in the same victory lane he celebrated in Saturday.
“One Friday night, my grandfather was like, ‘Alright, we’re getting in the motorhome and going to Michigan,’” Friesen said. “We camped way out on the back 40.”
An even more local driver nearly won, as Portage native Carson Hocevar was leading before a flat tire forced him to pit with eight laps to go. Hocevar drove back through the field into the top five, but was forced to the back again after a restart violation. He finished 11th.
Only one Michigan-born driver has won a Truck Series race at MIS – Johnny Benson in 2006.
Hocevar and Corey Heim dominated the first half of the race, before fuel strategy mixed up the field. Heim gave his teammate Gio Ruggiero a push on the restart with five laps to go that helped trigger a 12-truck crash.
The crash knocked out Cup Series regular Ross Chastain (No. 44), who would finish 26th.
Chastain and Hocevar will compete in the Sunday, June 8, FireKeepers Casino 400 at MIS. That race begins at 2 p.m. on Prime Video.
The 20 lead changes in Saturday’s race tie a Truck Series record for MIS. This was the first truck race at MIS since 2020.
Here are the top 10 finishers from Saturday’s race.
- Stewart Friesen, No. 52 Toyota
- Grant Enfinger, No. 9 Chevrolet
- Luke Fenhaus, No. 66 Ford
- Ben Rhodes, No. 99 Ford
- Corey LaJoie, No. 07 Chevrolet
- Matt Crafton, No. 88 Ford
- Jake Garcia, No. 13 Ford
- Chandler Smith, No. 38 Ford
- Andres Perez De Lara, No. 77 Chevrolet
- Layne Riggs, No. 34 Ford
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BROOKLYN, MI – A racer known for celebrating his wins at Waffle House was victorious Friday, June 6, at Michigan International Speedway – in a state with zero Waffle Houses.
Brenden “Butterbean” Queen held off a hard-charging Corey Heim in the closing laps of the ARCA Series race at MIS to win by 0.3 seconds.
Brenden Queen (28) celebrates after the ARCA Menards Series Henry Ford Health 200 at Michigan International Speedway in Brooklyn on Friday, June 6, 2025. Ayrton Breckenridge | MLive.com
Queen, 27, pumped up the fans in the grandstands during his TV interview.
“It’s Bean Nation time tonight, boys!” Queen said. “It’s insane. I mean, I think I’ve got to climb the fence before I’m done.”
Queen was true to his word. He scaled the fence in front of cheering fans just after his interview.
The mullet-donning driver brings an energy to the series – living up to the hype of his “Butterbean” nickname. His family gave him the nickname as a baby, as they thought he looked a bit like professional boxer Eric “Butterbean” Esch.
This is Queen’s third career ARCA Series win, all coming in 2025. After the first two, he took his team and the trophy to Waffle House to celebrate.
“It’s been a thing I’ve done since I was late model racing … we’d just always take the trophy to Waffle House. It was the only thing open (that late),” Queen said. “We try to enjoy the night, reflect on it and then get ready for the next one.”
While Michigan doesn’t have a Waffle House, Queen has a plane to catch tonight, anyway, to get back to North Carolina.
It’s yet-to-be-determined if he’ll end up at one before the night ends. Queen was asked what his favorite thing is at Waffle House after he finished speaking with the media.
“Chocolate milk! We’re going to go get a chocolate milk,” Queen said.
Brenden Queen (28) celebrates in victory lane after the ARCA Menards Series Henry Ford Health 200 at Michigan International Speedway in Brooklyn on Friday, June 6, 2025. Ayrton Breckenridge | MLive.com
Brenden Queen (28) performs a burnout after the ARCA Menards Series Henry Ford Health 200 at Michigan International Speedway in Brooklyn on Friday, June 6, 2025. Ayrton Breckenridge | MLive.com
How he got there
Queen took the lead with 23 laps to go on the final restart. While side by side with Gio Ruggiero, the pair slapped doors entering Turn 3, and Queen cleared him for the lead off Turn 4.
Second-place Heim, who has four Truck Series wins this year and is the favorite for Saturday’s race, wasn’t even supposed to be racing Friday. He was a substitute driver for Jake Finch, getting the call just hours before the race, since Finch had a viral infection.
Morgen Baird, who grew up in nearby Grass Lake, was the top finishing Michigander on Friday, with a 13th-place result. Baird will also race in Saturday’s Craftsman Truck Series race, which starts at noon on Fox.
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In the mid- to late 1950s, legendary sportscasters Harry Caray, Ernie Harwell and Bob Prince took to their broadcasting booths to narrate baseball games for their respective teams.
Each became a staple for kids nationwide who grew up fans of the sport. But for George Blaha — a 10-year-old boy listening to the radio in Iowa — the voices of Caray, Harwell and Prince inspired a five-decade broadcasting career.
“Listening to baseball games at night, I could just imagine the guys in the booth having a good time while broadcasting the game,” Blaha told The Detroit News. “The excitement of being there, bringing the excitement to the fans. I used to think, ‘If I could do this for the rest of my life, I’m in.’ I’ve always wanted to do this.”
With the belief of his mother (Margaret Blaha) and father (Dr. Vernon Blaha), Blaha grew from a young boy listening to baseball games in his bedroom to establishing himself as a legendary broadcaster in his own right. The 2024-25 season marked Blaha’s 49th year as the Detroit Pistons’ play-by-play announcer. Dubbed “The Voice of the Pistons,” he has called more than 3,700 regular-season games and more than 260 playoff games.
In September, the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame will induct Blaha as the 2025 Curt Gowdy Media Award honoree.
2025 Detroit News Michiganian of the Year George Blaha
2025 Detroit News Michiganian of the Year George Blaha at Pudges Place Deli and Cafe in Troy, Michigan on April, 30, 2025.
Blaha’s contributions to Michigan sports have gone beyond the microphone. In the late 1980s, he was part of a committee that saved Wayne State University’s football program. Blaha and his group collaborated with then-Detroit Mayor Coleman Young through several board meetings and fundraisers to address the financial issues.
About 30 years later, Blaha’s contributions have allowed Wayne State University to provide scholarships for hundreds of students throughout Detroit.
“It’s probably one of my proudest achievements,” Blaha said. “I did not do it by myself. But, our group decided the only guy who could help us was Coleman Young, and I knew who I was, so I got in touch with him, and he got back to me, and we got it done.”
Blaha’s broadcasting career began in Adrian, but his significant break came after moving to Lansing in 1971. He was a news and sports broadcaster, covering high school basketball and Michigan State football for WJIM-AM (1240). However, it was in Lansing that Blaha learned about a broadcasting job for the Pistons at WJR-AM (760) through friend Tom Campbell.
Blaha’s first game was in October 1976, when Bob Lanier’s Pistons lost 98-97 to Wes Unseld’s Washington Bullets. Blaha sat at the scorers’ table at Cobo Arena in downtown Detroit in awe of the game’s speed and the players’ stature.
Feeling nervous about his performance after the game, Blaha drove an hour in the wrong direction from his home in Lansing.
“I said to myself at the time, ‘I better buckle up my seat belt. This is a grown man’s league; I better be up to it,’” Blaha recalled.
Since his debut, Blaha has become a prominent figure in Michigan’s sports history. He is a two-time Michigan Sports Broadcaster of the Year from the National Sportscasters and Sports Writers Association (2003 and 2007). In 2008, Blaha — who still calls Michigan State football games — was inducted into the Michigan Sports Hall of Fame.
Witnessing the Pistons’ resurgence this season in year 49 has become one of Blaha’s best memories during his illustrious career and one of the reasons he intends to return for a 50th year behind the mic.
“Fifty is in the bag; you can count on that,” Blaha said. “Count that baby and a foul. But no foul in this case.”
Coty.Davis@detroitnews.com
@cotydavis_24
George Blaha
Age: 80
Occupation: Play-by-play broadcaster
Education: Bachelor’s degree, University of Notre Dame; MBA, University of Michigan
Family: Wife Mary Blaha
Why honored: For being an iconic figure in Michigan sports broadcasting
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