The following news release was issued today, April 17.
MINNEAPOLIS—Minnesota Citizens Concerned for Life (MCCL) today called upon Attorney General Lori Swanson and state Health Commissioner Edward Ehlinger, M.D., to enforce the Woman's Right to Know law in our state.
"Whole Woman's Health abortion center in Minneapolis is doing same-day abortions and that is illegal in our state," stated Scott Fischbach, MCCL Executive Director. "Since 2003 we have had a mandatory 24-hour waiting period before any abortion can be performed, and Whole Woman's Health is not above our laws."
The Whole Woman's Health abortion center website offers "same-day surgical procedures" at its Minneapolis facility. At a minimum, this information is false and misleading to women if indeed they cannot walk in and have their unborn child aborted. If Whole Woman's Health will perform a same-day abortion, it is clearly illegal.
Whole Woman's Health is a Texas-based abortion chain that has a history of breaking state laws. Whole Woman's Health was fined $83,000 in Texas (see p. 116), along with its medical waste vendor, for illegally dumping the remains of aborted babies in open trash receptacles. Eight of its abortionists were disciplined by the Texas Medical Board for numerous allegations, including the illegal dumping of private patient medical records, HIPAA violations, and violations of Texas informed consent laws. Several Whole Woman's Health abortionists have previous disciplinary histories, including one who was responsible for a patient death.
"Their past record demonstrates that Whole Woman's Health is willing to violate the law. This only underscores the need to license and inspect abortion facilities in the state," Fischbach said. "And while abortion centers are not licensed or inspected by the State of Minnesota, the least that the Attorney General and Health Commissioner can do is enforce the laws that we have on the books."
MCCL supports S.F. 752 / H.F. 900 to require licensing of abortion facilities. This legislation would empower the state to ensure a degree of safety for women and to hold abortion providers to state standards for outpatient surgical centers.
