Neighbor,
It is highly concerning that Gov. Tim Walz is allowing abortions to continue despite issuing Executive Order 20-09 to postpone all elective surgeries and procedures statewide as we fight COVID-19.
The governor's inconsistent application of executive orders needs to be corrected. I joined fellow House Republicans in sending a letter to him on Friday to address this issue. It reads:
“In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, you issued Executive Order 20-09 postponing elective surgeries and procedures statewide. According to the Department of Health, elective abortions continue to take place, even as we hear from constituents about critical surgeries and medical treatments being postponed or canceled.
“Most abortions clearly fall under the category of ‘elective’ or ‘nonessential’ as those terms are described in the executive order. We ask that you make clear that the order applies to them. The postponement of elective procedures is crucial both to minimize transmission of the coronavirus and to free up scarce medical resources like personal protective equipment.
“For the safety and health of the public during this time of ongoing crisis, we ask that you ensure that the governor’s policy applies to the practice of abortion no less than to other elective procedures.”
All we are asking is for the governor apply his executive order consistently. It is unacceptable for patients to be forced to delay procedures, potentially causing added discomfort and declining health, while it’s all systems go over at the abortion clinics.
As of now, we have not received a response to our letter urging the governor to treat abortions with the same consistency as other elective procedures.
-Steve