Abortion Day at House of Representatives
Votes on Abortion Waiting Period and Gag on Family Planning Providers Saint Paul, Minnesota--Today the Minnesota House of Representatives is expected to approve a highly restrictive abortion 24-hour waiting period bill. The bill is expected to face a Senate vote in the coming weeks. On the heels of the waiting period, the Super Gag Rule, a.k.a. the Taxpayer Protection Act (HF 436), is scheduled to be heard today in the House Health and Human Services Policy Committee. "Minnesota is beginning to see the devastating effects of last November’s elections on a woman’s right to choose. While lawmakers pledge to focus on the budget problem, they somehow find the time to pursue these extreme social conservative initiatives," said Tim Stanley, executive director of Minnesota NARAL. The so-called “Woman’s Right to Know” bill (H.F. 668/S.F. 695) requires certain state-scripted information be provided to the woman 24 hours before the procedure by the referring physician or the physician providing the abortion. It also has further provisions, including an unscientific definition of ‘unborn child,’ a direct to the state Supreme Court provision, elaborate and unnecessary enhancement of physician reporting requirements, and scientifically unproven reference to 'fetal pain.' "These bills represent a major step backward for women’s reproductive rights in Minnesota. The waiting period bill is about the government prescribing what a woman should think, when a woman should think, and for how long a woman should think," said Stanley. “While this Super Gag Rule bars health providers from sharing complete information with their patients, even if it is in their patients’ best interest. When will these lawmakers support an initiative that will actually help women avoid unintended pregnancy and the thus the difficult decision whether or not to have an abortion?” "While Minnesotans worry about how the budget cuts will affect their lives, the legislature is focused on extreme measures to satisfy the MCCL and other ideological groups. The focus in Saint Paul today was abortion, not the budget. With nearly a dozen anti-choice bills proposed, how many more days will our lawmakers waste to placate the MCCL?” said Stanley. Minnesota NARAL is an affiliate of NARAL Pro-Choice America and is the largest grassroots pro-choice group in Minnesota. ###
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