The following news release was issued today, May 7.
ST. PAUL — Taxpayer-funded abortions have reached their highest point ever as a percentage of annual abortions in the state. After 16 years of taxpayer-funded abortions, Minnesotans have funded more than 62,000 abortions at a cost of $19.9 million, according to a just-released report from the Minnesota Department of Human Services (DHS). Nearly all of these abortions have been elective.
Since its successful 1995 challenge to Minnesota's law which prohibited funding of most abortions, the state's abortion industry has steadily marketed taxpayer-funded abortions to low-income women. Taxpayers now pay for 33.4 percent of all abortions performed in the state—the highest percentage ever.
"The state's abortion facilities get a steady stream of taxpayer revenue by targeting economically vulnerable women," said Scott Fischbach, Executive Director of Minnesota Citizens Concerned for Life (MCCL). "It is time to end this exploitation of poor women and their unborn children."
Minnesota taxpayers have been required to fund elective abortions since the Minnesota Supreme Court's 1995 Doe v. Gomez ruling. In that decision, the Court created a state "right" to abortion on demand and obligated all taxpayers to fund abortions, including purely elective procedures.
Since the Doe v. Gomez ruling, taxpayers have paid $19,914,885 for a total of 62,252 abortion procedure claims. Taxpayers' portion of the 2011 numbers (the latest available) was $1,215,500 for 3,693 abortions. Prior to the court decision, taxpayers were charged about $7,000 per year for about 23 abortions in cases of rape, incest and to save the life of the mother.
Twelve facilities performed taxpayer funded abortions in 2011; eight of them account for more than 99 percent of these abortions. One facility—Regions Hospital & Clinic—has since stopped doing abortions, and two more—Midwest Health Center for Women and Meadowbrook Women's Clinic, both in downtown Minneapolis—were sold to Texas-based Whole Woman's Health, which combined them into one facility last year.
"Polls continue to show that most Minnesotans and most Americans are opposed to taxpayer funded abortions, yet they continue to be forced to pay for them," Fischbach said.
MCCL helped to pass a ban on taxpayer funded abortion during the 2011 legislative session; it was vetoed by Gov. Mark Dayton. The measure would have ended the forced funding by taxpayers of this mistreatment of poor women and the killing of unborn children.
