Lowell — In Gretchen Whitmer’s Michigan, local bookstores aren’t just for buying novels and knick-knacks, they’re also dispensaries for state-funded birth control.
Two West Michigan bookstores are part of a state program started by Gov. Whitmer last fall that sends free birth control, emergency contraception, and condom, to 300 locations. The program, Take Control of Your Birth Control, describes distribution locations as “community partners and federally qualified health centers.” How do bookstores, like Bettie’s Pages in Lowell and Books and Mortar in Grand Rapids, fit the bill?
In both bookstores, staff have boldly labeled bookshelves to display the products. Books and Mortar, for example, hung a large homemade sign reading: “Free Birth Control” as well as “no questions asked, no prescription required” and “stock up!”
The children’s and youth sections at both locations are not far from the free birth control, and no restrictions or guidelines are set around any of the pills. At best, a curious child wanders over and asks questions. At worst, over-the-counter birth control or Levonorgestrel—a generic emergency contraceptive—could be swiped by a toddler.
“Bettie’s has partnered with the state health department on their statewide campaign to bring free info on family planning services, birth control, and emergency contraceptives directly to communities that need it!” a Bettie’s Pages Instagram post reads. “Feel free to stop by our new community care corner and take ANY of these free products you need!”
The state of Michigan is taking it upon itself to provide these products, continuing the “state’s ongoing commitment to ensuring equitable access to reproductive health services.” Most Michiganders are probably unaware that $5.6 million of their tax dollars are being spent on this program. The state extended the program in January 2025, and based on visits to Kent County bookstores in early June, the program has continued on without a hitch.
Programs and projects that received less funding in the 2025 budget than free birth control include $3.2 million for natural disaster relief, $4.4 million for the National Guard armory in Grand Rapids, and $2.5 million to reduce veteran homelessness.
According to the program, every county in the state has at least one location receiving these products. According to a Bettie’s Pages employee, the state reached out to the bookstore and sent them a big box of “supplies.”
At Books and Mortar, “All supplies [are] from the MI Department of Health and Human Services,” the sign reads. Michiganders who are looking to take any products are not required to provide any health insurance information.
Birth control has many potential side effects, including nausea, headaches, and abnormal menstruation. There is also the possibility of developing high blood pressure, a pulmonary embolism, or a heart attack or stroke. Yet these pills are readily available, with no limit or medical consultation necessary, at bookstores.
If the unrestricted birth control, morning-after pills, and condoms were not enough, these book stores also proudly display books espousing transgender ideology, crude sex education, and radical ideology.
In Bettie’s Pages’ youth section, titles include: “Body Talk: 37 Voices Explore Our Radical Autonomy,” “This Book is Anti-Racist,” and “Americanized: Rebel Without A Green Card.”
Books and Mortar proudly labels banned and challenged books, including books that are rightfully no longer welcome in certain libraries. “I am Jazz,” a book detailing the life of transgender person Jazz Jennings, was the “6th most challenged book nationwide in 2019,” according to signage.
Along with the birth control and banned books, the bookstores provide information on Michigan’s Plan First program, a new healthcare initiative for low-income families. While it’s not a full insurance plan, the program covers “contraceptive services and supplies, sexually transmitted infection (STI) testing and treatment, vaccines, and other preconception health services,” according to Michigan HHS.
This isn’t the first time the state has inserted itself into the bedroom. During the Covid-19 pandemic, Michiganders could request free condoms via mail. The initiative has increased tenfold with the Take Control of Your Birth Control program.
A conversation witnessed in Bettie’s Pages reveals our dystopian reality.
“Do you have any books on sports?” a patron asked.
“We have sports smut!” a bookstore employee said.
Kamden Mulder is a contributing writer for Michigan Enjoyer.
