| For Immediate Release | For more information contact: |
| February 24, 2000 | Bill Walsh (651-296-0640) |
(St. Paul, MN...) A bipartisan group of legislators representing the House and Senate attended a press conference today in support of the Woman's Right to Know bill, which sees its first legislative action in a House committee next week. The measure would simply require clinics to provide basic health information to women before they receive an abortion.
"This is a women's health issue," said Rep. Lynda Boudreau (R-Faribault), the bill's chief author in the House. "Women deserve to have as much information as possible before going through with a procedure that will affect them physically and emotionally for the rest of their lives."
The bill would require clinics who provide abortions to give women information on the fetal development of her unborn child, alternatives to abortion, and the potential risks related to future childbirth. The measure also includes a 24 hour waiting period between the initial consultation and the abortion.
Legislators also presented a long list of organizations, churches, and crisis pregnancy centers who support this measure.
"This is common sense legislation," said Senator Michelle Fischbach, the Senate author. "It is important to provide women with the right information in order for them to make an informed decision. Let's make sure the women of Minnesota are making informed decisions."
The Woman's Right to Know bill passed the Minnesota House last year but was killed in a conference committee. House File 178 will be heard in the House Health and Human Services Finance Committee on Monday, February 28th at 8 a.m. The companion bill in the Senate is Senate File 187.
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