ST. PAUL – Thousands of Minnesotans travelled to the State Capitol on January 22 – which marked the 43rd anniversary of the Roe v. Wade decision – to take part in the annual "March for Life" event, which is organized by the Minnesota Citizens Concerned for Life (MCCL).
State Representative Jason Rarick (R-Pine City) was one of the pro-life supporting lawmakers in attendance.
"Last session we worked hard to protect innocent lives, and we will continue our push for common-sense pro-life initiatives in 2016," Rarick said.
In 2015, the Born-Alive Infant Act was signed into law, which strives to ensure that infants born alive as a result of an abortion are to be considered a human and have full rights. According to the law, medical professionals must take all reasonable approaches to ensure that the newborn is cared for, otherwise they are subject to civil and disciplinary actions. Lawmakers also provided more resources for the Safe Place for Newborns program.
Last session the Minnesota House also approved legislation that limited state-sponsored health plans to pay for abortions and required the licensing of abortion clinics for facilities performing ten or more abortions a month. Ultimately, these provisions were not signed into law.
According to MCCL, there are nearly 10,000 abortions in Minnesota every year.