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Legislative News and Views - Rep. Abigail Whelan (R)

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Legislative Update (7-23-15)

Monday, August 10, 2015

Dear Neighbors,

I just wanted to take a few minutes to talk about an issue that I am sure many of you are aware of, as well as discuss some upcoming events in our area. Thank you for taking the time to stay in touch.

Planned Parenthood Selling Parts of Aborted Babies

Two videos surfaced earlier this month that detail how Planned Parenthood sells baby organs to researchers. The first video that surfaced shows the senior director of medical services at the Planned Parenthood Federation of America allegedly talking about the organization’s involvement in tissue donation programs, and the price ranges they charge "per specimen." In the video, she also describes how they are able to harvest targeted organs from a fetus and keep them "intact."

Planned Parenthood receives millions in taxpayer dollars each year. As someone who is a strong supporter of the unborn and a committed pro-life legislator, I am appalled at the idea that any organization, especially one that receives taxpayer dollars, may be selling the body parts of aborted babies.

While there is question over whether or not they make profit doing so, to me that is a secondary issue. The larger issue, I believe, is that they are doing it at all.

In response to this shocking news a number of legislators and myself signed a letter to Governor Dayton asking him to investigate Planned Parenthood here in Minnesota to see if any wrongdoing has occurred locally. Additionally, I signed a letter to the editor that was published in the Star Tribune calling on Attorney General Lori Swanson to investigate Planned Parenthood. You can read the letter here.

Event Updates

I also wanted to take a moment to fill you in on some community events that are set to take place in the coming weeks.

 

  • The Anoka County Fair is this week—started Tuesday and runs through Sunday, July 26th, at the Anoka County fairgrounds.

 

  • National Night Out is August 4th. This is a night for neighbors and communities to come together and enjoy a night of activities and fun for residents city-wide. Check your local newspapers for details on events as we get closer to August 4th.

 

  • The Ramsey Game Fair is set to begin August 7th. Visit their website to learn more about this year’s fair.

Thank you for taking the time to read this week’s update. As always, please do not hesitate to contact me if you have any questions or comments regarding anything related to state government. I can be reached by phone at 651-296-1729 or via email at rep.abigail.whelan@house.mn.

 

Sincerely,

Abigail