Dear Neighbor,
There is a highly concerning development to report from the House this week after House Democrats approved an extreme bill which makes abortion, already legal in Minnesota, available at any time during a pregnancy and with no guardrails.
To say I have strong feelings against this bill (H.F. 1) is an understatement. I was a hard “no” on the vote, but House Democrats passed it despite Republicans unanimously standing against it.
If it were to become law, this bill would make Minnesota an outlier in the United States and western world, putting our state’s abortion laws on par with just seven countries in the world – including radical regimes such as North Korea and China.
The Minnesota Constitution’s preamble reads, “We, the people of the state of Minnesota, grateful to God for our civil and religious liberty, and desiring to perpetuate its blessings and secure the same to ourselves and our posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution.”
To the contrary, this bill does not protect the posterity of those still inside the womb. Democrats have removed all restrictions to H.F. 1 and seem to believe they can decide what children have rights and what children don’t have rights.
While I oppose abortion in general, the least we can do is to ensure that a woman seeking an abortion receives one in a safe or licensed environment. This bill fails to do so. This bill also does not ensure second- or third- term abortions take place in a hospital, despite posing medical risks.
This bill also regrettably allows for a minor girl to become sterilized.
House Republicans offered reasonable, common-sense amendments to this bill in an attempt to provide protections for women and children, but House Democrats blocked each one. The majority’s refusal to license abortion facilities or protect a child from being aborted in the third trimester – even with the exceptions of rape, incest, or health of the mother – is extreme and not supported by most Minnesotans.
The House Democrat stance on abortion is completely out of touch with average Minnesotans and threatens the health and safety of mothers and unborn children. Their bill is now in the hands of the Senate, representing our last hope to stop it before it reaches the governor’s desk for his signature.
Let us pray the House Democrats’ egregious position does not become law.
Sincerely,
Ben