NEWS RELEASE
Rep. Andy Smith
Minnesota House of Representatives
District 25B – 651-296-9249 – rep.andy.smith@house.mn.gov
5th Floor, Centennial Office Building, St. Paul, MN 55155
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CONTACT: Marlee Schlegel
651-296-9873 or marlee.schlegel@house.mn.gov
March 13, 2025
Rep. Andy Smith Statement on Failed GOP Crisis Pregnancy Center and “Born Alive” Legislation
SAINT PAUL, Minn. - Today, House Democrats defeated HF24, a bill modifying current state law to require physicians to utilize life-saving measures on imminently terminal infants, and HF25, a bill that would re-route funding for organizations that provide reproductive healthcare to crisis pregnancy centers, many of which are religious organizations that often use pressure and scare tactics to persuade pregnant people into continuing their pregnancy rather than informing them on all their options.
Rep. Andy Smith (DFL – Rochester) released the following statement:
“So-called 'crisis pregnancy centers' are unregulated, not licensed to provide healthcare, and rely on debunked studies to misrepresent abortion safety and dissuade women from obtaining an abortion. Their staff will go so far as to wear white medical coats and falsely present themselves as healthcare providers. Because these centers are not subject to healthcare regulations, they have no data privacy regulations (like HIPAA) and are subject to high amounts of fraud. Public money should not go to these organizations.
“Our Rochester community knows all too well how important high quality, data-backed healthcare is, especially when patients are vulnerable. Legitimizing these organizations is insulting to the incredible healthcare providers in our community and across Minnesota who prioritize their patients’ safety and well-being.
“HF24 creates a tragedy based on a lie. All this bill does is take away the few precious moments grieving parents have with their child between delivery and death. Rather than allowing medical professionals to provide comfort care, this bill would require extreme lifesaving measures to be taken on infants who will not survive regardless. If an infant has a chance at survival, doctors already do everything in their power to save that child. We need to trust real healthcare providers to know when to intervene, and when to let families spend the few minutes of their child’s life holding and comforting them. Politicians have no place taking that away from those parents on the worst day of their lives.”
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