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Legislative News and Views - Rep. Jim Newberger (R)

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Legislative Update from Rep. Jim Newberger

Tuesday, April 25, 2017

Hello Friends!

 

Last night we heard two very important pro-life bills in the Minnesota House.

 

I was very honored to vote YES on both of them.

 

House File 812 requires abortion facilities that preform more than 10 abortions per month to be licensed and inspected to make sure that they adhere to health, sanitation and safety standards like many other medical providers. It would empower the Department of Health to refuse grant funding to an abortion provider, or suspend their license, if they do not adhere to some basic safety standards. Currently, the Minnesota abortion industry is not required to do so.

 

This bill is supported by MCCL.

 

House File 809 stops Minnesotan tax payers from having to pay for elective abortions. In 1978, Minnesota passed a law that banned taxpayer funding of abortion, except in cases of rape, incest or to protect the life of the mother.

 

However, the law was overturned when the Minnesota Supreme Court established a “right” to abortion in its 1995 Doe v. Gomez decision, and also required taxpayers to fund elective abortions for women on Medical Assistance. It is one of the nation’s most extreme state policies regarding abortion.

Since the ruling, Minnesotans have been forced to pay more than $23 million for more than 77,000 abortions.

 

It is time to end this practice! House File 809 would prohibit taxpayer funded abortions. This policy would mirror that of the federal government, which currently prohibits taxpayer funding for abortion except in cases of rape, incest or to save the mother’s life.

 

This bill was also supported by MCCL.

 

Many Democrats fought us on the house floor to try and stop these bills.

 

We were also able to defeat Democrat amendments that tried to weaken the bills!

 

We were able to pass both of the bills after hours of debate. It is a big step forward in the fight for life!

 

Once again, I was honored to vote YES on both of these bills.

 

Please contact Governor Dayton's office to tell him that you want these bills signed into law!

 

Have a GREAT week!

 

God's peace,

 

Jim