Nessel Rips 'Draconian' Abortion Law Michigan Women Face if Roe Overturned

Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel on Sunday warned against the consequences that women in the state could face if Roe v. Wade is overturned, which includes enacting a "draconian" state law that bans abortion.

Nessel said that abortion will "immediately" become illegal in Michigan, if Roe v. Wade is overturned, as per a 1931 law that deems the procedure as a felony.

"This incredibly draconian and strict 1931 law would criminalize abortion in the state with virtually no exceptions, no exception for rape, no exception for incest, no exception for medical emergencies," Nessel said during an interview with host Chuck Todd on Meet the Press on Sunday.

Her remarks come after a leaked initial draft of a U.S. Supreme Court decision suggested that the majority of the court is prepared to overturn Roe v. Wade, the 1973 landmark decision that made abortion legal nationwide.

The leaked draft sparked abortion rights protests across the country amid concerns that some states could enact their "trigger" laws banning abortion if Roe is overturned.

"I refuse to enforce this draconian law," Nessel said on Sunday, referring to the Michigan's 1931 law.

However, county prosecutors in Michigan can still criminally charge those involved in an abortion procedure, even if Nessel's office refuses to do so, according to MLive.

When Todd asked Nessel to explain her stance about supporting abortions while knowing that counties could choose to go in the opposite direction, she said that she refuses to enact such law within her jurisdiction.

"There is 83 duly elected prosecutors for every county in our state. As Attorney General, I have statewide jurisdiction and I ran on a platform of understanding that likely during the course of my term, Roe v Wade would be overturned," she told Todd.

She added that the lives of 2.2 million women "who are of childbearing age" in Michigan would be at risk, and that therefore she refuses to "enforce this draconian law that will endanger their lives."

Nessel also warned that doctors in Michigan will be afraid of losing their jobs and that they could even start investigating miscarriages if Roe is overturned.

She noted that because miscarriages have the same procedure as an abortion, doctors will be concerned. "I think that what's gonna happen is doctors will be so afraid that there will be investigations into these procedures [miscarriages]," she said.

"You won't have basic medical healthcare that is required for women not to have extreme health problems or even die. Doctors simply are not going to perform those procedures anymore because they don't want to go to prison for [it]," she added.