Anti-Choice Legislation Moving Forward in the House
Lawmakers push forward 24-hour waiting period, other abortion restrictions to follow Saint Paul, Minnesota--Today the House Health and Human Services (HHS) Policy Committee approved a highly restrictive abortion 24-hour waiting period bill in a 12 to 4 vote. Tuesday morning’s vote represents the first meaningful anti-choice development of this legislative session. Minnesota NARAL referred to the hearing as the "opening bell" of the extreme, social conservative agenda at the Capitol. "It is time for Minnesotans to wake up and see what their lawmakers are up to," said Tim Stanley, executive director of Minnesota NARAL. "The avalanche of anti-choice legislation began today. We have a legislature that is openly hostile to women’s rights and we must stop them before it is too late." The so-called Woman’s Right to Know bill (H.F. 668) requires certain state-scripted information be provided to the woman 24 hours before the procedure. It is expected to be referred to the HHS Finance Committee, which will likely approve it as well. "This legislation implies that women do not think seriously about whether or not to have an abortion and that they are incapable of making their own decisions," said Stanley. "This bill is not about providing women information. Rather it is about government prescribing what a woman should think about, when a woman should think, and for how long a woman should think," said Stanley. “The opponents of legal abortion will stop at nothing until a safe and legal abortion is all but impossible to obtain. And yet they are curiously silent on pregnancy prevention initiatives that would actually make abortion less necessary,” said Stanley. “Tomorrow a Senate committee will consider the “Contraceptive Equity Act” [S.F. 268]. Where do the lawmakers who voted to restrict women’s access on abortion today stand on increasing women’s access to contraception?” Minnesota NARAL is an affiliate of NARAL Pro-Choice America and is the largest grassroots pro-choice group in Minnesota. Contact: Tim Stanley - 651-602-7655 ###
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