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Extreme ruling strikes down commonsense Minnesota abortion laws

Informed consent, parental notification nullified by today's decision

MINNEAPOLIS — Today a decision in Ramsey County District Court struck down a number of abortion-related laws in Minnesota. The ruling in Doe v. Minnesota invalidated Minnesota's Woman's Right to Know informed consent law, parental notification law, and requirement that only doctors perform abortions.

"The laws challenged in this case are commonsense measures that support and empower pregnant women," said MCCL Executive Director Scott Fischbach. "Today's ruling striking them down is extreme and without a foundation in the Minnesota Constitution. Even the U.S. Supreme Court, under Roe v. Wade and subsequent decisions, allowed these very modest types of laws. Yet today's ruling blocks them and prevents Minnesotans from enacting reasonable protections for unborn children and their mothers. The decision must be appealed."

Minnesota's Woman's Right to Know law ensures that women receive basic factual information prior to undergoing abortion—so that they can properly give their full consent before submitting to a surgical or chemical abortion procedure. A similar law was upheld by the U.S. Supreme Court in its 1992 Planned Parenthood v. Casey decision. Minnesota's parental notification law requires that parents are notified before an abortion is performed on a minor; it was previously challenged and then upheld by the U.S. Supreme Court in its 1990 Hodgson v. Minnesota decision.

"A lot of women have been helped by these policies," said Fischbach. "Now they will be harmed as these protections are taken away by an egregiously mistaken court ruling, one that goes well beyond Roe v. Wade. This mistake must be corrected."

Minnesota Citizens Concerned for Life is Minnesota's oldest and largest pro-life organization. Founded in 1968, MCCL works through education, legislation, and political action to secure protection for innocent human life from conception until natural death. Learn more at mccl.org.

 

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