LANSING, Mich. — Gov. Gretchen Whitmer is urging Michigan voters to oppose a ballot proposal that would call a new constitutional convention to rewrite the state's governing document.

In a webinar Wednesday, the Democratic governor came out in opposition to the proposal largely on the grounds that a convention could be used to "roll back and undermine women's reproductive freedom."

"This is not an attempt to work around the will of the people," Whitmer said. "It is an attempt to undo the will of the people. And we can't let that happen.”

Whitmer's brief remarks — she stayed on the Zoom call for about 5 minutes and did not take questions — were part of a press conference alongside Planned Parenthood of Michigan, the American Civil Liberties Union of Michigan and Reproductive Freedom for All. Her statement came after state Rep. Jay DeBoyer, R-Clay Township, this month suggested a new constitutional convention could be used to adopt a 12-week ban on abortion. He later walked back the statement.

"We need to keep fighting for reproductive freedom in Michigan," Whitmer said. "We can’t let up now. This is not done, unfortunately.”

The webinar occurred independent from the official Protect MI Constitution from Special Interests coalition, the official no-campaign that includes groups like the Michigan Catholic Conference. Right to Life of Michigan also has said it is opposed to a Constitutional Convention and argued Democrats were using the proposal "to wrongly suggest that abortion is on the ballot."

"Abortion is not on the ballot," said Amber Roseboom, president of Right to Life of Michigan, said this month.

The November ballot question will ask whether voters want the state to convene a Constitutional Convention to rewrite the state's 1963 constitution. The question is automatically posed to Michigan voters every 16 years and has been rejected the last three times it was asked.

If approved by a majority of voters Nov. 3, the state would elect 148 delegates next spring who would then begin meeting no later than Oct. 5, 2027, to rewrite the state constitution.

Delegates would have unlimited time to complete the rewrite, which would have to be adopted by a majority of delegates and then be put to a statewide vote within 90 days.

Paula Thornton-Greear, president and CEO for Planned Parenthood of Michigan echoed Whitmer's concerns, arguing it could undo the abortion rights enshrined in the state constitution in 2022.

"If Proposal 1 is allowed to pass, the consequences would be devastating," Thornton-Greear said. "The Michigan Constitution will be rewritten and the right to abortion would be erased.”

But some voters supporting Proposal 1 have argued the extreme scenarios being floated by opponents ignore the reality that any rewritten constitution would eventually have to go back before voters for final approval. That final vote serves as a check on some of the radical amendments that have been suggested.

But Loren Khogali, executive director for the ACLU of Michigan, argued there aren't clear processes in place in the current constitutional language to ensure the election of delegates is an equitable one.

"The challenge with the constitutional convention is that it opens up the constitution to a complete rewrite without the guarantees of an equitable process around that selection and nomination and election of delegates," Khogali said.

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(Staff writer Craig Mauger contributed.)

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