ST. PAUL, MN – On January 19, Minnesota House Democrats approved radical abortion language that would allow abortions until the child’s birth. State Representative Mike Wiener, R-Long Prairie, voted no on the bill, which passed solely with Democrat support.
“The passage of this bill marks a dark moment in our state’s history as it effectively aligns Minnesota’s abortion policy with nations like North Korea and China,” said Wiener. “To be clear, this extreme bill is completely out-of-step with the values of Minnesotans and does nothing to protect the health and wellbeing of children and women. Despite yesterday’s setback, our work is not done. I plan on working hard this year on legislation that gives women options beyond abortion and provides them with the support they need to choose life.”
Wiener said the bill makes abortion, already legal in Minnesota under the 1995 Doe v. Gomez decision, available at any time during a pregnancy without guardrails, which would make our state an outlier in the United States and western world.
Wiener also noted that the bill does not require abortion facilities to be licensed by the State of Minnesota nor require second or third term abortions to take place in a hospital, despite the obvious medical risks.
Numerous attempts were made to amend the legislation to show compassion to mothers and the unborn. The proposed changes included requiring 2nd and 3rd 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 life of the mother. House Democrats, who are the majority party in the Minnesota House, voted all of them down.
The bill now heads to the Minnesota Senate.
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