The Michigan Senate has made short work of legislation designed to prevent female genital mutilation. On Wednesday, it unanimously approved a plan to make FGM illegal in Michigan. It also passed a bill to make it illegal to knowingly transport a girl for such a purpose. State Senator Tonya Schuitmaker tells us doctors have identified no benefits of the practice, and in fact, she believes it’s merely “used as a mechanism of control over young women.” The package is in response to a Detroit-area doctor recently indicted in a case involving two Minnesota girls. It makes FGM a 15 year felony, and allows parents who are convicted to be stripped of their parental rights. The legislation now goes to the state House.
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