ST. On Monday, the Minnesota legislature approved an omnibus health bill that repeals a bipartisan measure protecting newborns and a bipartisan programme supporting pregnant women who wish to carry their babies to term. In addition, the bill revokes a number of long-standing laws pertaining to abortion. It is anticipated that Governor Tim Walz will sign the comprehensive bill, which was passed by the House and Senate on narrow party lines.
Cathy Blaeser, Co-Executive Director of the Minnesota Citizens Concerned for Life (MCCL), asserted that the state’s abortion-up-to-birth policy, enacted by Governor Walz and DFL majorities, is at odds with the majority of the global community. “Now, it would appear that they have gone even further.” Furthermore, they have revoked a law that requires the provision of life-saving care for newborns. Furthermore, the Positive Alternatives programme, which provides support to pregnant women in challenging circumstances, has been abolished. The consequences of this sweeping extremism are twofold: babies and women are both harmed.
The omnibus bill, SF 2995, was drafted largely behind closed doors without input from Republicans on the conference committee. The bill eliminates Minnesota’s existing requirement that reasonable measures be taken to “preserve the life and health” of infants born alive and replaces it with a requirement for “care”, which the bill’s House author, Rep. Tina Liebling (DFL-Rochester), has described as mere “comfort care”. The revised text allows for the denial of life-saving care and the subsequent death of an infant.
In support of the repeal of the protection for newborns, some lawmakers have misrepresented the repealed language, claiming that it required inappropriate or futile attempts to save the infants’ lives. In contrast, the repealed legislation merely stipulated that “reasonable measures consistent with good medical practice” should be employed.
The denial of this basic protection could have particularly adverse consequences for disabled babies, whose lives are often devalued.
Furthermore, SF 2995 also does the following:
The bill repeals the Positive Alternatives Act, which has provided practical assistance and support for tens of thousands of pregnant women and new mothers in communities across Minnesota. It also repeals parts of Minnesota’s abortion reporting law, including the requirement that abortion practitioners report cases in which infants survive abortion and whether those infants receive care. Five such cases were reported in 2021 alone. Furthermore, it increases reimbursement rates for tax-funded abortions. Finally, it repeals several other longstanding laws surrounding abortion, including the Woman’s Right to Know law, which ensures informed consent prior to abortion.
“The legislature is funding the abortion industry while defunding alternatives to abortion,” said Blaeser. “They are depriving babies born alive of the right to life-saving care while shielding these cases from public scrutiny. This is not what Minnesotans want. This is not the kind of place Minnesota wants to be.”
Daniel Miller is responsible for nearly all of National Right to Life News' political writing.
With the election of Donald Trump to the U.S. presidency, Daniel Miller developed a deep obsession with U.S. politics that has never let go of the political scientist. Whether it's the election of Joe Biden, the midterm elections in Congress, the abortion rights debate in the Supreme Court or the mudslinging in the primaries - Daniel Miller is happy to stay up late for you.
Daniel was born and raised in New York. After living in China, working for a news agency and another stint at a major news network, he now lives in Arizona with his two daughters.
