As the nation’s most extreme abortion bill is currently going through the legislative process in Minnesota – the House-passed bill will be considered later this week in the Senate – Freedom Foundation of Minnesota Founder and CEO Annette Meeks visited with Tom Hauser on KSTP-TV’s “At Issue” laying out the concerning developments of this extreme policy.
“This bill is too extreme and would make a us a cold California when it comes to abortion,” Meeks said. “We will have abortion allowed up until the child is legally delivered as a baby and that’s an extreme position. We can all talk abortion and what we support and what we don’t but there was a common sense middle ground that was missed by the DFLers who ran this bill through without little thought or consideration.
From MPR:
“We think that there are really reasonable things that we can do to put some guardrails on this, on this issue,” Rep. Anne Neu Brindley, R-North Branch, said. “But right now, the Democrats and what we are passing tonight out of the Minnesota House of Representatives, is the most extreme position on abortion on the world stage.”
From KSTP:
“This is a very extreme bill,” said Rep. Jim Nash, R-Waconia. “The most extreme abortion bill in the entire U.S. It has zero guardrails. Zero guardrails.”
Democrats turned back Republican amendments that would have required abortion facilities to be licensed, banned partial birth abortions, allowed local governments to regulate abortions and restricted abortions in the third trimester. That amendment, prohibiting abortions in the third trimester except in cases of rape, incest or to protect health of the mother, failed on a tie vote of 67-67, meaning some Democrats did vote with Republicans.
“It still allows exceptions for rape, incest, the health of the mother,” said Rep. Anne Neu Brindley, R-North Branch. “This is the most reasonable guard rail we could possibly place on House File 1 and I hope you will vote yes.”
From WCCO:
Republicans attempted, but failed, to amend the bill during floor debate to add restrictions to abortion, including requiring state licensing of abortion facilities and restricting third trimester abortions except for when a mother’s life is at risk. They reject the proposal as “extreme” and characterize it as out-of-step with the majority of Minnesotans’ position on abortion.
“We think that there are really reasonable things that we can do to put some guardrails on this issue, but right now the Democrats and what we are passing tonight out of the Minnesota House of Representatives is the most extreme position on abortion on the world stage,” said Rep. Anne Neu Brindley, R-North Branch.
From Pioneer Press:
Republicans characterized the legislation as extreme because it does not include any limits on how late in a pregnancy an abortion can be performed.
“It is the most extreme position on abortion in the entire world,” said Rep. Anne Neu Brindley, R-North Branch.
GOP lawmakers tried unsuccessfully to amend the bill to regulate third-trimester abortions and to require facilities that perform the procedure to be licensed.
House Minority Leader Rep. Lisa Demuth, R-Cold Spring, said Republicans “offered reasonable, common sense amendments, but they were rejected.”
From Minnesota Reformer:
Republicans said the bill had no “guardrails,” and that even abortion rights voters do not support abortions in the third trimester.
“Minnesotans, your voices were not heard by the majority party. We do not want the title of the most extreme state on abortion laws,” said Rep. Pam Altendorf, R-Red Wing.
From Star Tribune:
About 7:30 p.m. Thursday, the abortion bill passed 69-65 after more than four hours of debate that included deeply personal stories of loss and survival. Republicans repeatedly called the bill “extreme” and lacking in “guardrails” and said it would allow abortion “right up until the moment of birth.”