Skip to main content Skip to office menu Skip to footer
Capital IconMinnesota Legislature

Legislative News and Views - Rep. Mary Franson (R)

Back to profile

Legislative Update (Sept. 2, 2015)

Wednesday, September 2, 2015

Dear neighbor,

The newest video report from the Center for Medical Progress’s investigation into the practices of Planned Parenthood yet again proves to be quite disturbing. It features a conversation with a procurement manager from an organization known as Advanced Bioscience Resources, Inc. (ABR) – a company that harvests and sells fetal body parts at Planned Parenthood.

As the procurement manager is discussing the methods of acquiring the tissue of aborted babies, she mentions that her organization has a clinic in Minnesota. We also learn that ABR charges $340 per second-trimester fetal tissue specimen.

According to the Center for Medical Progress, ABR is the largest and oldest fetal tissue seller in the United States. Currently, ABR “operates in abortion clinics in California, Minnesota, Oregon, Pennsylvania, and an unknown other states. ABR is organized as a 501(c)(3) non-profit, but brings in over $1-1.5 million in fetal tissue sales revenue each year.”

Why is the nation’s largest and oldest fetal procurement company in Minnesota in the first place? Minnesota law requires a dignified and sanitary disposal of fetal remains. It’s curious that ABR is less than five miles from Planned Parenthood Minnesota.

As a strong advocate for the unborn, I’m horrified as I continue to learn about the practices of Planned Parenthood and how it does business with other organizations. I renew my call for Governor Dayton to use the power of his office and any relevant state agency to investigate whether Minnesota’s Planned Parenthood organization – which received taxpayer funding – is engaged in harvesting and selling the body parts of aborted babies.

Earlier this year, I sent a legislative survey out to constituents asking whether our tax dollars should go toward funding abortions. The results were that people in our community are overwhelmingly opposed to this use of their tax dollars with 73.5% opposed, 17.7% in support, and 8.8% undecided.

Clearly, this overwhelming opposition to taxpayer funding of abortions goes beyond traditional political party lines and is rooted in a bipartisan support for life in our community.

Although the next legislative session isn’t until March, I anticipate we’ll be exploring ways to restrict taxpayer dollars toward such an egregious and disgusting practice.

As always, you can send me an e-mail at Rep.Mary.Franson@House.MN or call my office at 651-296-3201. You can also send mail to my office address: 517 State Office Building, 100 Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd., St. Paul, MN 55155.

 

Sincerely,

 

 

Mary