Dear Neighbors,
Yesterday, Minnesota Democrats voted to approve House File 1, a bill with radical and extreme language that would allow abortion up until the moment of birth with zero guardrails or protections for the unborn and women.
The communities and families I represent know exactly where I stand on the issue of abortion. This bill endangers women and babies and makes Minnesota a “leader” in abortion, not something I thought our state would ever want to “lead” on. The bill's language would align Minnesota's abortion policy with that of China and North Korea. Put simply, this bill is not reflective of the values of Minnesota.
This bill makes abortion, already legal in Minnesota under Doe v. Gomez, available at any time during a pregnancy, including partial birth abortions, without guardrails, which would make our state an outlier in the United States and western world. The legislation does not require abortion facilities to be licensed by the State of Minnesota, meaning there is no oversight of these procedures.
The bill would also allow a minor to obtain “reproductive health care” which specifically includes irreversible procedures like sterilization without parental notification or consultation.
Numerous attempts were made to amend the legislation to show compassion to mothers and the unborn. The proposed changes included requiring second and third-trimester abortions to be performed in a hospital, banning partial-birth abortions, and banning abortions in the 3rd trimester, with the exceptions of rape, incest, and saving the mother's life. House Democrats, the majority party, voted down all of the proposed amendments.
It breaks my heart that this is the top priority of the DFL. I am at a loss for words for what it means for women and babies in this state if this legislation becomes law.
Upcoming Town Halls
Sen. Lucero, Rep. Hudson and I have scheduled a series of town hall meetings in our area the next two weekends. This is a good opportunity to share thoughts on whatever issues are important to you and discuss the 2023 session. There’s no need to RSVP and the meetings will be casual. Here’s the schedule:
Saturday January 21
- Saint Michael Cinema at Noon-1 PM
- Sen. Lucero & Rep. Hudson
- 4300 O'Day Ave NE, St Michael, MN 55376
- Otsego Denny’s at 2-3 PM
- Sen Lucero, Rep. Hudson, and Rep. Novotny
- 9020 Quaday Ave NE, Otsego, MN 55330
Friday January 27
- Hanover City Hall at 6-7 PM
- Sen. Lucero & Rep. Hudson
- 5959 Main Ave NE, Albertville, MN 55301
Saturday January 28
- Albertville City Hall at 11-Noon AM
- Sen. Lucero & Rep. Hudson
- 5959 Main Ave NE, Albertville, MN 55301
- Elk River Public Library at 1-2 PM
- Sen. Lucero & Rep. Novotny
- 13020 Orono Pkwy, Elk River, MN 55330
- Nowthen City Hall at 3-4 PM
- Sen. Lucero & Rep. Novotny
- 8188 199th Ave NW, Nowthen, MN 55330
Staying in Touch
Please be sure to reach out to me if you have any questions, concerns, or ideas on ways to improve state government. I can be reached by phone at 651-296-4237 or via email at rep.paul.novotny@house.mn.
Have a good day,
Paul