Minnesota reacts to the U.S. Supreme Court ruling overturning Roe v. Wade

Pioneer Press
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Minnesota politicians and others weighed in on the historic U.S. Supreme Court decision Friday overturning Roe v. Wade.

Prolife advocates praised the ruling while those supporting choice saw it as a step backward for the nation. The decision involved Dobbs v. Jackson, a case centered on a Mississippi law that bars most abortions after 15 weeks of pregnancy.

Gov. Tim Walz, a DFLer, in a Facebook post, said: “The Supreme Court’s decision on Roe v Wade is a blatant violation of a woman’s right to choose. But let me say it again: There will never be a ban on abortion in Minnesota on my watch.”

Scott Jensen, a practicing doctor and GOP endorsed candidate for Minnesota governor, issued this statement:

“We have seen many lives diminished after this court ruling decades ago. While Minnesota’s Supreme Court ruled that there is a right to an abortion, as governor I still want to seek out loving and caring alternatives like universal adoption, family planning measures to prevent pregnancies and policies like counseling and alternative referrals, medical assistance and other measures that value people – both born and unborn. I will be a leader that will solve problems, as I have done before such as bipartisan insulin legislation, which values life. Minnesota values are not ‘up-to-the-moment-of-birth’ abortions as Tim Walz and Peggy Flanagan support. The restrictions allowed by our courts are supported by the vast majority of Minnesotans and late term, nine month abortions championed by Tim Walz are not Minnesota values…”

St. Paul Mayor Melvin Carter, in a Twitter post, said: “It’s a dark day in our history. After a century-long crusade, #RoevWade is overturned, undoing decades of precedent and jeopardizing the lives and livelihood of millions of women. We can’t take the protections we have in MN for granted. Our activism is more important than ever.”

Minnesota House Minority Leader Kurt Daudt, R-Crown, issued the following statement:

“Today life prevailed with a decision that will save countless unborn lives. While there is no immediate impact here in Minnesota, this is an important step toward building a nation that values and recognizes life as a gift that should be protected.

“The United States has long been an extreme outlier on abortion on par with countries like North Korea and China who allow abortion up until the moment of birth. 90% of European countries have similar restrictions to those passed in Mississippi that were in question in the Dobbs case. It’s long overdue that we join the rest of the civilized world in providing protections for unborn babies with heartbeats and who can feel pain.

Senate DFL Leader Melisa López Franzen, DFL-Edina, responded to the ruling:

“Today’s Supreme Court decision to overturn the landmark decision in Roe v. Wade is an attack on the fundamental rights of people in Minnesota and across the country to receive the health care they need and overturns almost 50 years of judicial precedent … Let’s be clear: abortion is healthcare, and that remains true for Minnesotans even after this radical decision. Minnesotans deserve the right to make decisions about their own bodies guided by the medical advice of their doctors, not by the decisions of politicians.

John Helmberger, Minnesota Family Council CEO, issued a statement reading:

“This is a historic day for our nation, but amidst all the headlines, it’s important to keep the actual significance of this decision front and center. Because of this decision, fewer children in the womb will be lost to abortion in the coming days. Because of this decision, predatory clinics like Planned Parenthood will be able to target fewer women at their most vulnerable. Because of this decision, more women will understand what is really at stake in an abortion decision and resolve to bring their pregnancy to term … Make no mistake, women who are experiencing a pregnancy for which they’re not prepared are truly in a hard place. Their voices need to be heard, and their needs must be met. But now, my hope is that we can begin to address this difficult situation in a less destructive way. I hope we can show each woman and each child that we value them…”

Singh Mayell, executive director of ACLU Minnesota, in a statement, said:

“The Supreme Court’s devastating and unprecedented decision to take away a basic and fundamental right from half of our nation is shameful. Let us be clear that this ruling forces women to stay pregnant or give birth against their will … It’s important to note that abortion is still legal in Minnesota for now, but politicians keep trying to chip away at this crucial right here too. The ACLU-MN will keep fighting to ensure abortion remains legal in Minnesota so people can make their own decisions about their bodies, their health and their families.

Kat Rohn, executive director of OutFront Minnesota, said in a statement:

“We are deeply saddened by the outcome of today’s ruling in Dobbs v. Jackson, a decision which ends nearly five decades of a federal right to abortion established by Roe v. Wade … At OutFront Minnesota we believe that abortion rights are LGBTQ+ rights and reproductive care is essential health care.”

U.S. Rep. Ilhan Omar, D-Minneapolis, issued the following statement:

“This decision is devastating for millions of women and pregnant people across the country. I am outraged this right-wing court is turning the clock back on generations of progress and prohibiting individuals to have autonomy over their bodies. Let’s be clear: This decision is a blow to everyone who believes in the 14th amendment and to anyone who believes there are limits to how much the government can control the decisions we make in our private lives. Tragically, we know this decision will fall hardest on the most vulnerable such as women who have been abused, who are victims of incest, who have been raped, and those who are already struggling to put food on the table.”

The Minnesota Catholic Conference said in a statement:

“Along with women and men across our nation who respect the inherent dignity of each human life, the Catholic bishops of Minnesota give thanks to God on this historic day as the Supreme Court ends the injustice of the Roe v. Wade decision. We are grateful that the Supreme Court has returned to state Legislatures and federal officials the ability to protect preborn children and save mothers and fathers from the untold pain of abortion … For almost 50 years, Roe grievously denied one of America’s founding principles: that all men and women — irrespective of their stage of development — are created equal, with God-given rights to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness …”

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