Dear Friends,
Today I was proud to join thousands of pro-life supporters for the annual March for Life rally at the Capitol. Each year, rallies are held across the country on January 22nd, the anniversary of the Roe v. Wade Supreme Court decision, to remember those lost to abortion and support the pro-life cause. Thanks to everyone who made the trip to Saint Paul and braved the cold to make your voice heard.
We're extremely fortunate to have a pro-life majority in the Minnesota House, including a 100% pro-life Republican caucus. Despite a pro-abortion Governor and a pro-abortion Senate, we were able to successfully pass two pieces of pro-life legislation last session that were signed into law by Governor Dayton.
The first was the Born Alive Infant Act which ensures human rights and medical care for infants who survive and abortion procedure and are born. The second was funding for the Safe Place for Newborns program which helps mothers in distress who have hidden their pregnancy and their potentially at-risk newborn.
Unfortunately, two additional pro-life measures were blocked in the Senate; one would have licensed abortion clinics to ensure safety of women who choose to undergo abortion procedures, the other would have limited taxpayer-funded abortions under state-sponsored health plans. No pro-life Minnesotan should be forced to fund abortion procedures with their tax dollars.
In addition to these legislative efforts, we raised concerns with Governor Dayton about a series of videos from other states showing that Planned Parenthood may have been engaged in the illegal selling of baby parts for profit.
Americans were shocked at these tapes, and I called on Governor Dayton to investigate whether any illegal activity was happening at Planned Parenthood in Minnesota. The Governor has dismissed these calls, and continues to deny efforts to even look at whether illegal activity is occurring. Simply put, the sale of any child's body parts has no place in Minnesota.
You can count on House Republicans to defend the pro-life cause and fight to protect life at the legislature. We believe that every child has a right to life, and a right to fulfill their God-given potential.
Thank you to those of you who traveled to a March for Life rally today, and to all of you who support the pro-life cause. We are proud to stand with you in protecting the unborn.
Have a great weekend,
Kurt