The Dayton-Smith gubernatorial ticket

Who is Tina Smith? Dayton running mate, former abortion industry leader

Who is Tina Smith? Most Minnesotans have no idea.

Smith is Gov. Mark Dayton's running mate in the Nov. 4 election. She served as his chief of staff during his first term. And she’s a former vice president for the state’s leading performer and promoter of abortion.

Smith put her marketing background to work for Planned Parenthood from January 2003 to February 2006. The organization performed 9,717 abortions in Minnesota during that period. It was also reimbursed $458,574.74 by Minnesota taxpayers for performing 1,892 abortions on low-income women. Planned Parenthood became the largest abortion provider in the state in 2004—and has held that position ever since. It received $12.65 million in government grants from 2003 to 2005.

As a top representative for the abortion industry, Smith strongly opposed commonsense legislation such as the Positive Alternatives Act of 2005, which provides pregnant women in need with practical assistance and life-affirming alternatives to abortion. During Smith's tenure as chief of staff, Dayton vetoed seven different pro-life measures, including licensing of abortion facilities and protection for pain-capable unborn children. He also vetoed a bill to stop the public funding of abortions at facilities like Planned Parenthood.

The Planned Parenthood Action Fund honored Smith in 2012 "for her passion and commitment to Planned Parenthood." It's clear what Tina Smith fights for: no-limits abortion, subsidized by taxpayers.

Is this who Minnesotans want in the governor's office?

Mark Dayton's record on protecting human life: Veto, veto, veto (etc.)

Minnesota Gov. Mark Dayton is up for re-election this year. What's his record since taking office in 2011? Where does he stand on right-to-life issues? And what are the stakes on Nov. 4?

Dayton's record as governor

Dayton addressed activists at "Pro-Choice Lobby Day" shortly after becoming governor. He pledged to prevent any pro-life bills from becoming law. "It will not happen here in Minnesota," he told them.

Dayton kept his promise:

• The Legislature passed a bill to stop the killing of unborn children who can experience pain when they are dismembered in abortion procedures (babies at 20 weeks post-fertilization and later). Dayton vetoed the bill.

• The Legislature passed a bill to stop the use of taxpayer funds to pay for abortions. Dayton vetoed the bill.
  
  Taxpayers will pay about $3.5 million for 14,000 abortions during Dayton's four years as governor. If a 2009 estimate from the Guttmacher Institute (a staunch advocate of unlimited abortion) is applied to the public funding numbers in Minnesota, about 3,500 fewer Minnesota women would have had abortions over Dayton's tenure if the state did not pay for abortions.

• The Legislature passed bans on human cloning and the taxpayer funding of human cloning, but Dayton vetoed both.

• The Legislature passed a bill to license abortion facilities (applying to them the same safety standards as other outpatient surgical facilities) and allow for inspections. Dayton vetoed the bill—even though poor health conditions and dangerous practices have been uncovered in abortion centers in numerous other states.

• The Legislature passed a bill to require that a doctor be physically present when administering chemical abortions. This would have stopped the "webcam abortions" Planned Parenthood is now remotely conducting in Rochester. Dayton vetoed the bill.

Planned Parenthood, the state's leading performer and promoter of abortion, responded to these actions by presenting Dayton with its Courage Award at a 2012 gala.

Dayton's other positions

Dayton strongly opposes Minnesota's existing Woman's Right to Know law—which requires that basic information regarding risks and alternatives be offered to women considering abortion—and Minnesota's law requiring parental notification before a minor girl has an abortion. He has harshly criticized the work of pregnancy care centers that help pregnant women in need, claiming in a 2010 questionnaire that they "scare [women] into not having abortions."

During his time in the U.S. Senate, Dayton voted in favor of abortions in military facilities, endorsing Roe v. Wade, keeping partial-birth abortion legal, funding abortion-promoting organizations overseas, and funding embryo-destructive research. He also voted against parental notification before an abortion is performed on a minor from another state. And he cosponsored the radical Freedom of Choice Act, which would have eliminated virtually every limitation on abortion, no matter how modest.

As Dayton explained in a 2010 letter:

I strongly support a woman's right to choice, and I have a 35-year record in strong support of that right. As a U.S. Senator, I voted consistently for pro-choice measures. I voted against the so-called "partial-birth abortion" ban. And I voted against Senate confirmations of Supreme Court Justices Roberts and Alioto [sic], in significant part because of their anticipated anti-choice positions.

My positions earned me very high ratings and frequent commendations from NARAL, including "Hero of the Month."

Dayton's running mate is Tina Smith. She is a former executive at Planned Parenthood, the state's biggest abortion business and a fierce opponent of pro-life laws like Woman's Right to Know and Positive Alternatives.

The stakes

Mark Dayton, who was described by the Star Tribune as "an ardent advocate of abortion rights," is an abortion absolutist. Late-term abortion? Yes. Partial-birth abortion? Yes. Taxpayer funding of elective abortions? Yes. Informed consent for women before undergoing abortion? No. Basic health standards in abortion facilities? Nope. Parental notification before minor abortions? Certainly not.

Since becoming governor, Dayton has single-handedly (literally) prevented seven different pro-life measures from becoming law. Lives that could have been saved weren't—simply because voters had not elected a pro-life governor. No laws to protect the unborn and their mothers can be enacted as long as Dayton remains in office.

That's the kind of difference a governor can make.

Dayton supports licensing dog breeders, yet rejects any oversight of abortion facilities

New regulations of pet breeders go into effect; governor previously vetoed abortion center licensing

ST. PAUL — A measure to license and inspect commercial dog and cat breeders—passed by the Legislature and signed into law by Gov. Mark Dayton earlier this year—went into effect on July 1. The new regulations throw into sharp relief Dayton's refusal to accept any state licensing or inspection of abortion facilities, which perform thousands of surgical procedures on Minnesota women each year.

"Gov. Dayton wants to safeguard the well-being of pets, and that is admirable," said Scott Fischbach, Executive Director of Minnesota Citizens Concerned for Life (MCCL). "But his concern evidently does not extend to the human beings undergoing surgery in unlicensed and uninspected abortion centers."

The new law will impose health standards and require commercial breeding facilities to be licensed by the Board of Animal Health. "The humane and decent treatment of these innocent creatures is no longer an unwritten expectation—it is the law," said Dayton in a press release.

But Minnesota's abortion centers are neither licensed nor inspected by the Department of Health. In 2012 the Legislature passed a bill to license abortion facilities in the same way as other outpatient surgical centers, and to allow such facilities to be inspected. Dayton vetoed the bill.

Poor health conditions and dangerous practices have been uncovered in abortion centers in numerous other states. The horrific Philadelphia clinic of Kermit Gosnell, now serving life in prison, has especially drawn nationwide attention; the grand jury report in that case specifically blamed the lack of state oversight and called for abortion centers to be licensed as ambulatory surgical facilities. "There is no justification for denying abortion patients the protections available to every other patient of an ambulatory surgical facility," the grand jury noted, "and no reason to exempt abortion clinics from meeting these standards."

Dayton, however, favors denying women those protections and exempting abortion centers from the health standards that all other outpatient surgical facilities must meet. "The governor's advocacy for pet breeding regulations makes him more supportive of the welfare of animals than he is of the welfare of women who are seeking abortions," Fischbach observed. "That should be deeply troubling, because people matter more than animals."

"The state has a clear interest in ensuring at least minimal health and safety standards for women," Fischbach concluded. "This is common sense, regardless of one’s position on abortion. Yet Gov. Dayton seems more committed to toeing the abortion industry line and preserving unfettered abortion than to protecting women."

Pro-life efforts continue to drive down abortion numbers

Dayton vetoes obstruct trend of more teens, women choosing life

The following news release is a follow-up to today's earlier release regarding the latest Minnesota Abortion Report.

ST. PAUL — More women and girls are choosing life for their unborn babies, driving down the number of abortions performed in Minnesota, according to the 2013 Abortion Report issued today by the Minnesota Department of Health (MDH). About 800 fewer women resorted to abortion last year than in 2012, a decrease of 7.5 percent. The abortion rate fell to its lowest since 1974, and abortions performed on minors fell to the lowest number ever recorded.

But these numbers could have been even lower if Gov. Mark Dayton had not vetoed every effort to protect women and their unborn children.

"Governor Dayton has done everything in his power to slow down the decline in abortions," said Scott Fischbach, Executive Director of Minnesota Citizens Concerned for Life (MCCL). "Had he not vetoed bills approved by the Legislature to protect unborn babies who can feel pain, to license and inspect abortion facilities, to ban taxpayer funded abortions and to ban dangerous 'webcam abortions,' even more women, teens and unborn babies would have been saved from the tragedy of abortion."

Many of the 2013 statistics are encouraging. Abortions have decreased nearly 24 percent statewide since the Positive Alternatives program began funding efforts to help pregnant women in need. It is by far the biggest seven-year decline since the state began recording abortion numbers in 1973.

Abortions performed on minors were down 27 percent to 295, representing less than 3 percent of all abortions in the state. This is the smallest number since the state began recording minor abortions in 1975 and follows a general decline in numbers since 1987.

More than 12,000 women received factual, state-provided information about abortion risks and complications, abortion alternatives and much more under the Woman's Right to Know law. MCCL helped to pass the informed consent law in 2003; state abortion numbers have decreased in all but one year since the law took effect.

Not all of today's report is good news, however. Abortions were performed at a rate of more than 27 every single day last year. More than 40 percent of abortions in 2011 were performed on women who had undergone at least one prior abortion; 306 women had four or more previous abortions. The report also shows that African Americans remain a target of the abortion industry. They represent just 5 percent of the state's population, yet 23 percent of abortions were performed on African Americans.

Planned Parenthood performed more abortions than ever last year—a total of 4,370—even as the state total decreased significantly. That was an increase of 11.6 percent over the previous year and 44 percent of the state total. Yet Planned Parenthood continues to claim credit for the decline in the state's abortion numbers.

Tax-funded abortions increased to 34.8 percent of all abortions. This is the highest percentage since the 1995 Doe v. Gomez decision by the Minnesota Supreme Court required taxpayers to pay for abortions performed on low-income women. This percentage has increased nearly every year since the court ruling. Taxpayers have funded 69,265 abortions since the decision.

2013 Minnesota Abortion Report: Women embrace life-giving abortion alternatives

The following news release was issued on July 1, 2014.

ST. PAUL — Abortion numbers have dropped for the seventh straight year in Minnesota to their lowest level since 1974, confirming the success of life-affirming laws that provide women with abortion information and alternatives and empower them to choose life for their unborn children—and themselves.

Women are turning away from abortion in greater numbers, according to the latest annual Abortion Report issued today by the Minnesota Department of Health (MDH). The 2013 decrease of 7.5 percent follows a trend of fewer abortions statewide since Minnesota Citizens Concerned for Life (MCCL) helped to enact the Positive Alternatives law, which took effect in July 2006. But the abortion total could have been even lower.

"As governor, Mark Dayton has vetoed seven protective measures, at least four of which would have protected women and further reduced the number of abortions last year," said MCCL Executive Director Scott Fischbach. "Dayton's defense of the abortion industry has been at the expense of unborn babies and their mothers, who are nonetheless rejecting the self-destruction, dehumanization and death that result from abortion."

Pro-life legislation—all of which Gov. Dayton vehemently opposes—has helped to empower women in their desire to give birth to their unborn babies. Positive Alternatives offers women life-affirming alternatives to abortion by funding programs that help women with health care, housing, education, transportation and much more. The state's Woman's Right to Know informed consent law and the parental notification law for minors considering abortion also serve to empower women and girls with factual information and trustworthy support. Ultrasound, in utero surgery and other technology have caused more Americans to reject what unquestionably kills a developing human life in the womb.

"Most women don't want to abort their unborn babies, and today's report is further evidence that the greater the access women are given to factual information and abortion alternatives, the fewer of them resort to abortion," Fischbach said. "MCCL has always been focused on empowering women to choose life and our efforts are clearly working."

The 2013 total of 9,903 abortions is a reduction of 7.5 percent from the previous year's 10,701 total. More than half were performed on women in their 20s. A total of 12,164 women received the Woman's Right to Know informed consent information, meaning 2,261 women chose not to abort after learning about fetal development, abortion risks and complications, and abortion alternatives.

Today's report also shows that taxpayer funded abortions grew to 34.8 percent of all abortions reported in the state, the highest percentage since the 1995 Doe v. Gomez Supreme Court ruling requiring taxpayers to fund abortions.

Full reports for 2013 and prior years are available at the MDH website.

MCCL will release a further analysis of the MDH Abortion Report later today.

Parental notification law drives down teen abortions in Minnesota

Supreme Court ruling 24 years ago opened the door to similar lifesaving measures

The following is a news release issued on June 24, 2014.

MINNEAPOLIS—Teen abortions in Minnesota have declined dramatically since the state enacted a law requiring parental notification before minors undergo abortions. Tomorrow is the 24th anniversary of the U.S. Supreme Court decision upholding Minnesota's parental notification requirement.

The law (MN Statute 144.343), strongly supported by Minnesota Citizens Concerned for Life (MCCL), was passed by the Legislature with large bipartisan majorities in 1981. It requires that both parents be notified at least 48 hours before an abortion is performed on a minor girl. The measure includes a judicial bypass procedure, which is required by the courts, and exceptions for rare cases.

Minnesota's law was in place until 1986, when it was enjoined by a federal district court. The U.S. Supreme Court eventually ruled on June 25, 1990, in the case of Hodgson v. Minnesota, upholding both the two-parent and 48-hour requirements. The law went back into effect that year.

"Our Minnesota law and the Supreme Court decision affirming it helped open the floodgates for more state parental involvement laws," commented MCCL Executive Director Scott Fischbach. "Strong evidence shows that these laws, among other factors, reduce the incidence of teen abortions."

The annual number of minor abortions in Minnesota peaked at 2,327 in 1980, the year before the parental notification law first went into effect. Teen abortions then began to steadily decline. Since 1989, the last full year before the Supreme Court ruling, abortions performed on minors have dropped 71.7 percent. In 2012 (the latest year for which data is available), minor abortions fell to 403, the lowest number on record (statistics for minors go back to 1975) and only 3.8 percent of all abortions.

Despite clear public support for parental involvement laws, they are opposed by abortion advocacy groups, including Planned Parenthood, and by Gov. Mark Dayton, who co-sponsored the Freedom of Choice Act as a U.S. senator. That measure would have eliminated virtually all state abortion laws, including Minnesota's parental notification requirement. Dayton also voted twice against legislation to require parental notice when a minor is taken across state lines for an abortion, circumventing the law in the state where she lives.

"Parental involvement laws don't just save unborn lives from abortion," noted Fischbach. "They reflect the commonsense principle that parents are responsible for their kids and that kids need their parents. To exclude parents, especially at a time of crisis, would be a tremendous disservice to children. Yet that is precisely what Gov. Dayton wants to do."

Abortion chain with Minneapolis facility cited for more violations in Texas

The following news release was issued today, Nov. 1.

MINNEAPOLIS—The latest inspections of Whole Woman's Health (WWH) abortion centers in Texas have revealed continuing health violations by the abortion chain. Yet WWH's Minneapolis abortion center remains neither licensed nor inspected by the state of Minnesota.

An Oct. 3 inspection of WWH of Beaumont by the Texas Department of State Health Services (DSHS) found many different health code violations. "[T]he facility failed to provide safe and sanitary equipment in the patients' procedure rooms," DSHS noted. For example, inspectors found "numerous rusty spots on the suction machines used on the patient" that had "the likelihood to cause infection." The DSHS report concluded, "[T]he facility failed to provide a safe environment for patients and staff."

An Aug. 29 inspection of WWH of San Antonio determined that it "failed to implement and enforce acceptable environmental controls in cleaning and preparing instruments for sterilization." A Sept. 4 inspection of WWH of McAllen found that "personnel ... were not following proper sterilization procedures."

"Whole Woman's Health has a long history of not abiding by health and safety standards," said Scott Fischbach, Executive Director of Minnesota Citizens Concerned for Life (MCCL). "But here in Minnesota, the Department of Health doesn't inspect abortion facilities, or even license them. We have no way of holding Whole Woman's Health accountable and protecting women's health."

Texas-based WWH launched its Minneapolis center, Whole Woman's Health of the Twin Cities, in early 2012. Legislation to license and inspect abortion facilities was passed by the Minnesota Legislature in 2012, but the measure was vetoed by Gov. Mark Dayton.

Four of the five WWH clinics in Texas have been cited for violating safety standards in just the last three years. In 2007 DSHS fined WWH of Beaumont $3,050 for five different violations. In 2011 the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality determined that two WWH clinics were illegally disposing of the remains of aborted children; they were penalized $40,410 (and WWH’s medical waste vendor was penalized $42,612). In 2012 the Texas Medical Board disciplined two WWH abortionists for violating standards of patient care.

"In light of the persistent violations by Whole Woman's Health in Texas, as well as horrific practices uncovered in other abortion clinics across the country, it is ridiculous that Minnesota does not ensure minimum health and safety standards in abortion facilities," concluded Fischbach. "Gov. Dayton is letting his commitment to unfettered abortion get in the way of protecting the women of Minnesota."

MCCL continues to push pro-life legislation, save lives

Much has been written lately about the flurry of pro-life legislation that states have been passing recently. It has led to many questions at the MCCL office from both our members and the media seeking to find out how Minnesota stacks up compared to other states.

Minnesota has a long history of being at the forefront of ground-breaking legislation. Our goal has never been "statement" legislation that sounds good but does little, but rather legislation that makes a difference and leads to saved lives.

Leader in model legislation

Minnesota's parental involvement law was upheld by the U.S. Supreme Court and became model legislation for states around the country. It has been in place for more than 30 years, and has been a significant factor in Minnesota's low teen abortion rate.

More recently, Minnesota designed the Positive Alternatives grant program, which provides competitive grants to life-affirming programs that offer support and resources to pregnant and newly parenting mothers in need. At the time that Minnesota's legislation was written, only one other state had any kind of grant program dedicated to such programs.

MCCL's trailblazing efforts have continued in recent years.

Recent efforts

For example, when Minnesota began its attempt to pass the Pain Capable Unborn Child Protection Act, which prohibits abortion at the point that the unborn child feels pain (approximately 20 weeks after fertilization), only one state had so far passed similar legislation.

It is hoped that pain capable laws will lead to court challenges that undermine Roe v. Wade by effectively banning abortions at a certain point in the child's development, based on the humanity of the unborn child. While we were successful in passing the bill, it was vetoed by Gov. Mark Dayton.

Gov. Dayton impeding progress

Gov. Dayton has proven to be a difficult obstacle to overcome. So far, he has vetoed each of the following pro-life provisions:

• Prohibition on taxpayer funded abortion;
• Ban on human cloning;
• Prohibition on taxpayer funded human cloning;
• Pain Capable Unborn Child Protection Act (prohibition on abortion at the point the unborn child feels pain);
• Abortion facility licensing and inspection regulations; and
• Ban on webcam abortions.

However, the fact that these provisions made it to Dayton's desk shows that MCCL and Minnesota's pro-life community continue to be effective in passing pro-life legislation.

Modest gains in difficult times

In fact, in the last two years, a string of pro-life initiatives have been quietly signed into law in Minnesota, albeit less headline grabbing and more modest than the initiatives that were vetoed. These changes may not be as glamorous as what other states are able to do right now (with a pro-life governor), but they are lifesaving changes that continue to make a difference in Minnesota.

These recent successes include:

• Prohibition on requiring insurance companies to provide abortion coverage in MNsure, Minnesota's new health insurance exchange;
• Repeal of the Family Cap, a provision that threatened increased poverty for women who found themselves pregnant while on welfare;
• Update of Minnesota's Safe Place for Newborns / Give Life a Chance law. The changes allow for additional time to relinquish a newborn without penalty (from 3 to 7 days) and make it easier to relinquish the child by simply calling 911; and
• Amending the Positive Alternatives Law to increase the number of programs eligible to apply for grants.

MCCL started out ahead of many other states

In addition to these recently achieved victories, Minnesota has a number of additional laws on the books and in force (many of the recently passed laws in other states are currently unenforceable as they have already been struck down in the courts or are currently being challenged). Minnesota's most significant pro-life protections include:

• A ban on experimentation on a living human conceptus (145.421-145.422);
• A requirement that only a physician may perform an abortion (145.412, Subd. 1);
• A requirement that both parents of a minor girl be notified prior to an abortion (144.343);
• "Baby Doe" protections that forbid withdrawal of medically indicated treatment from newborn babies with disabilities (260C.007);
• A fetal homicide law that makes it a crime to kill or injure an unborn child other than in the commission of a legal abortion (609.266);
• Woman's Right to Know, informed consent requirements for women considering abortion (145.4241-145.4249); and
• Positive Alternatives grant program, providing grants to life-affirming programs that provide support and resources to pregnant women and new parents (145.4235).

Many states making headlines through passage of pro-life legislation are passing variants of these laws that Minnesota already has on the books and in effect. We continue to believe that these laws are significantly helping the downward trend in abortion that Minnesota has seen over the last several years. Minnesota currently has its lowest number of abortions, and lowest abortion rate, since 1975.

Our goal is to continue to work to advance protective pro-life initiatives that will decrease the number of abortions in Minnesota, while thoughtfully pushing the courts to recognize the humanity of the unborn child. This work has the dual objective of lowering the number of abortions and changing the hearts and minds of those who aren't yet pro-life.

Lessons of Gosnell: 'The real trial has only just begun'

Philadelphia abortion provider Kermit Gosnell was convicted yesterday on three counts of first-degree murder (of newborn babies), one count of involuntary manslaughter (of a pregnant woman), 21 counts of illegal abortion (of unborn babies over 24 weeks) and more than 200 other crimes. He will spend the rest of his life in prison. Eight other members of Gosnell's staff pleaded guilty to various charges, four of them to murder.

According to the grand jury investigation and several weeks of court testimony, Gosnell routinely delivered living newborn babies and then killed them by jabbing surgical scissors into the back of their necks and severing their spinal cords. (The grand jury said Gosnell killed hundreds of infants this way, but he destroyed most of the records, so only three first-degree murders were proved in court.) The conditions of his clinic were disgusting and unsanitary; women were overdosed with drugs and treated by unlicensed staff, and at least two women died; aborted babies' bodies were stored in the refrigerator next to employee lunches, and severed baby body parts were collected in jars.

Gosnell's "house of horrors" was allowed to operate for many years because state officials turned a blind eye and chose not to inspect abortion facilities for political reasons (according to the grand jury report). Here in Minnesota, state officials do not license or inspect abortion centers at all, and MCCL-backed legislation to license abortion facilities in the same way as other outpatient surgical centers was vetoed in 2012 by Gov. Mark Dayton. This status quo has never been more indefensible. In the wake of Gosnell (as well as problems uncovered in numerous other abortion facilities around the country, including Texas-based Whole Woman's Health, which recently came to Minnesota), will pro-choice advocates like Dayton accept reasonable health and safety standards in abortion clinics? How could they not?

Abortion defenders say the lesson to be learned is that pro-life restrictions on abortion drive women to "back-alley butchers" like Kermit Gosnell. This argument is difficult to take seriously in an era of abortion on demand. And no one could have been driven to Gosnell had proper oversight shut him down or forced him to abide by the law—oversight that was obstructed by pro-choice politicians. (Regardless, the fact that submitting to the killing of an innocent human being may be hazardous to one's health provides no moral justification for making such killing easier.)

The Gosnell case also shines a light on the dark reality of late-term abortion in the United States, and reveals the need to ensure protection for infants and enforce the federal Born-Alive Infants Protection Act. And it points to the graphic nature of killing babies, before birth or after, and the logically tenuous boundary between abortion and infanticide. As Princeton professor Robert P. George explains:

Dr. Gosnell is only the front man; and the real trial has only just begun. The defendant is the abortion license in America. The Gosnell episode highlights the irrationality of the regime of law put into place by the Supreme Court in 1973 and fiercely protected by Planned Parenthood, NARAL, and the politicians they and other "pro-choice" advocacy groups help send to Washington and the state capitols. Something as morally arbitrary as a human being's location—his or her being in or out of the womb—cannot determine whether killing him or her is an unconscionable act of premeditated homicide or the exercise of a fundamental liberty. Yet something like that is the prevailing state of American law under Roe v. Wade and Doe v. Bolton. Its incoherence and indefensibility have been laid bare by the prosecution of Dr. Gosnell. Whatever now happens to him, it will no longer be possible to pretend that abortion and infanticide are radically different acts or practices. If we are to condemn snipping the neck of a child delivered at, say, twenty-four or twenty-six weeks to kill him or her, how can we defend dismembering or poisoning a child in the womb at twenty-six, thirty, or even thirty-four weeks? And even more fundamentally, if we are bearers of inviolable dignity and a basic right to life in virtue of our humanity, and not in virtue of accidental qualities such as age, or size, or stage of development or condition of dependency—if, in other words, we believe in the fundamental equality of human beings—how can a right to abortion (where "abortion" means performing an act whose purpose is to cause fetal death) be defended at all?

The real trial has only just begun.

Pro-abortion Gov. Mark Dayton to be honored by Planned Parenthood

The following news release was issued today, Oct. 23.

ST. PAUL — Planned Parenthood Minnesota, North Dakota, South Dakota will honor one of its strongest allies in the business of destroying unborn babies. Gov. Mark Dayton will receive the abortion organization's Courage Award tonight at its "Celebrate!" gala in downtown Minneapolis.

"Abortion and abortion advocacy have become a cause of celebration for Planned Parenthood and its political partners," said Scott Fischbach, Executive Director of Minnesota Citizens Concerned for Life (MCCL), the state's oldest and largest pro-life organization. "Dayton has given them many reasons to praise him, having vetoed no less than seven pro-life measures passed by the Legislature in his first two years as governor."

In 2011, Dayton vetoed five major pro-life provisions: the Unborn Child Pain Prevention Act, a ban on taxpayer funding of abortion, bans on human cloning and taxpayer funding of human cloning, and protections to keep tax dollars away from family planning organizations (including Planned Parenthood) that are involved in abortion.

Dayton vetoed two more bills in 2012 that would have protected women's health and safety. One would have brought the state's six abortion facilities in line with the state's other outpatient surgical centers by requiring them to be licensed, and would have authorized the Minnesota Department of Health to perform inspections of abortion facilities. The other bill would have stopped dangerous "webcam" abortions by requiring that a physician be physically present when administering the drugs for a chemical abortion.

"Planned Parenthood is obviously grateful to Dayton for protecting its taxpayer funding and for blocking the state from licensing its new abortion megacenter—the nation's third largest—in St. Paul," Fischbach said. "Dayton has done Planned Parenthood's bidding in every case, at the expense of thousands of human lives. This is hardly anything to celebrate."

Meanwhile, Planned Parenthood continues to kill thousands of unborn children in Minnesota, year after year, and wound women physically, emotionally, mentally and spiritually. The state's largest abortionist killed 3,608 unborn babies last year. That's an average of nearly 10 unborn babies killed every single day; less than one percent were in cases of rape or incest or to save the life of the mother.

Dayton kills ban on dangerous ‘webcam abortions’

The following was released today, April 30.

ST. PAUL — Legislation to ban "webcam abortions" was vetoed by Gov. Mark Dayton today. The women's safety measure had the strong support of the Legislature and Minnesota Citizens Concerned for Life (MCCL), the state's oldest and largest pro-life organization.

"Once again, Gov. Dayton has come to the defense of the abortion industry at the expense of women's safety," said MCCL Executive Director Scott Fischbach. "This is the seventh pro-life initiative that would protect women and unborn children that has been vetoed. The Dayton record is now clear: he is no friend of women or their babies."

H.F. 2341, authored by Sen. Paul Gazelka, R-Brainerd, and Rep. Joyce Peppin, R-Rogers, would have stopped dangerous webcam abortions by requiring that a physician be physically present when administering the drugs for a chemical abortion. Webcam abortions involve the RU486 abortion drug, administered via video conference with an abortion provider in another location. The doctor talks with the woman, and then presses a button which opens a drawer to remotely dispense the drug.

The doctor is never physically present in a webcam abortion to examine the woman for a life-threatening ectopic pregnancy or any other condition or factor that would make this abortion procedure especially dangerous for her. Planned Parenthood began offering webcam abortions last year at its Rochester facility; women consult with a doctor in St. Paul. The webcam abortion method is cost-effective for Planned Parenthood, allowing it to forgo a surgical center and on-site physician.

"This legislation focuses primarily on the life of the mother," Gazelka said during floor debate. "A doctor will do the exam to make sure the woman is a proper patient for this. So this is certainly looking out for the best interest of the mother but not the best interest of the abortion provider."

The risks of RU486 can be severe: 14 women are known to have died in the U.S. after taking the drugs, according to the Food and Drug Administration. At least six states, including North Dakota and Wisconsin, have already enacted webcam abortion bans, and other states are currently working to pass legislation to the same effect. Canada does not permit use of RU486 due to safety concerns.

"This is a very serious and dangerous drug and we just don't want to take this lightly," Peppin said during floor debate. "The FDA requires a physician to administer this drug."

Planned Parenthood introduced webcam abortions in Iowa in 2008 at one location; now it promotes them at nearly all of its 17 Iowa locations. Planned Parenthood has 18 locations in Minnesota and could greatly expand availability of this dangerous abortion method.

Dayton blocks licensing of abortion facilities

The following was released today, April 26.

ST. PAUL — Legislation to institute minimal safety standards at abortion facilities was vetoed today by Gov. Mark Dayton. The veto of the women's safety measure follows its overwhelming bipartisan approval by the Legislature with the backing of Minnesota Citizens Concerned for Life (MCCL).

"This veto highlights Gov. Dayton's commitment to protecting the abortion industry, even when it results in putting women's health at risk," said MCCL Executive Director Scott Fischbach. "Abortion is one of the most common medical procedures in Minnesota, and there is no way for women to know if they are going to be in a safe or clean facility."

S.F. 1921 was authored by Rep. Mary Liz Holberg, R-Lakeville, and Sen. Claire Robling, R-Jordan, who sought to bring the state's six surgical abortion facilities in line with the state's other outpatient surgical centers. The bill would have required facilities that perform 10 or more abortions per month to be licensed, and authorized the state department of health to perform inspections of abortion facilities. In 2010, a total of 11,505 abortions were performed in the state.

"Women need to know that the Department of Health has zero oversight of abortion facilities and cannot ensure their safety, because Gov. Dayton has forbidden it," Fischbach continued.

Abortion facilities have been granted special exemption from licensing that governs other outpatient surgical centers in the state. Planned Parenthood and the ACLU testified against the bill in committee hearings, arguing that abortion facilities should remain unlicensed and uninspected. However, state lawmakers agreed that this exemption cannot be justified when it comes to safeguarding women.

In a letter to Dayton after the bill was approved by the Legislature, Holberg and Robling defended the requirements as reasonable and sensible.

"Prior to the legalization of abortion in 1973, supporters of abortion often argued that the procedure should be brought out of the back rooms in order to protect the well-being of women. Without state licensing and inspections, there is no guarantee that women's health is being protected," they wrote. "This proposed regulation is to provide protection before a dangerous situation develops."

Dayton, Klobuchar and Planned Parenthood

Scandal-plagued abortion giant Planned Parenthood will hold a fundraiser with Sen. Amy Klobuchar on Aug. 29. Planned Parenthood is the leading performer and promoter of abortion in Minnesota -- managing to increase its abortion totals even as abortions overall decline -- and has come under intense scrutiny nationwide after undercover investigations exposed the group's willingness to cover up underage sex abuse, misinform pregnant women and break the law.

The event will also "honor Tina Smith for her passion and commitment to Planned Parenthood." Smith is a former Planned Parenthood executive who is now Gov. Mark Dayton's Chief of Staff.

A 'barbaric' act: Time to redouble our efforts

Minnesota is getting nationwide attention -- but not in a good way. Carol Tobias, president of National Right to Life, writes:

I am sickened by what happened yesterday [May 25], and every decent American should be, too.

Years of hard work by pro-lifers has slowly nudged the Supreme Court to allow more and more laws that protect unborn children. Our analysis is that the Supreme Court will now allow us to pass laws to save unborn babies who are old enough to feel pain. No baby should be aborted, but since the Supreme Court won't allow us to protect all babies yet, we must protect the ones we can.

With National Right to Life's expert help, some states have passed laws banning abortion after 20 weeks – the time by which scientists know an unborn baby can feel pain. Other states are working on such laws.

The moral duty to these little babies is so obvious that these laws are passing in legislatures by wide margins. But yesterday, for the first time, we had a governor say no. Gov. Mark Dayton of Minnesota vetoed the bill that would have saved these babies' lives and prevented their most horrible, painful deaths.

The governor's act was barbaric, and will allow a brutality to continue that should never happen in a civilized society. But it teaches us that passing even this most modest of abortion restrictions will never be accepted by the pro-abortion lobby and those politicians who are their lap dogs. To protect babies' lives, we will have to re-double our efforts to fight them every step of the way. ...

No unborn baby should ever die by choice. No baby should suffer in this brutal way.

Gov. Dayton vetoes pro-life legislation

The following news release was issued today, May 25.

ST. PAUL — Minnesota's pro-life majority today is lamenting Gov. Mark Dayton's vetoes of legislation that would have protected pain-capable unborn children and ended taxpayer funded abortions. Both bills are strongly supported by Minnesota Citizens Concerned for Life (MCCL), the state's oldest and largest pro-life organization.

"We are very disappointed that Gov. Dayton prevented these mainstream measures from becoming law in our state," said MCCL Executive Director Scott Fischbach. "These are reasonable provisions, not extreme, and have overwhelming support from Minnesotans and legislators."

The Pain Capable Unborn Child Protection Act would have prohibited abortions after the point in pregnancy at which an unborn child can feel pain, which medical evidence demonstrates is (conservatively) 20 weeks from conception. This legislation is based on the landmark Nebraska law that passed in 2010. H.F. 936 was authored by Sen. Gretchen Hoffman, R-Vergas, and Rep. Mary Liz Holberg, R-Lakeville.

The ban on taxpayer funding of abortion, H.F. 201, was authored by Sen. Dave Thompson, R-Lakeville, and Rep. Peggy Scott, R-Andover. The legislation would have prohibited taxpayer funding of abortion. The Legislature passed such a ban in 1978, but it was overturned by Doe v. Gomez, a 1995 Minnesota Supreme Court ruling in which the Court established an absolute "right" to abortion in the state Constitution and required taxpayers to fund elective abortions for women on public assistance. Since the Doe v. Gomez decision, taxpayers have paid more than $17 million to abort 54,802 unborn babies, according to the Minnesota Department of Human Services.

The future of these pro-life provisions is uncertain. MCCL is hopeful that one or both will be part of any special session agreement reached between the Legislature and the governor.

"We want to see Gov. Dayton work together with all Minnesotans, including the large majority who are pro-life and expect to see these protective measures become law," Fischbach added.

Gov. Dayton vetoes cloning ban legislation

The following news release was issued today, May 24.

ST. PAUL — Gov. Mark Dayton has vetoed legislation that would have prevented the cloning of human embryos in Minnesota, and the funding of such experiments. Both pro-life measures were strongly supported by Minnesota Citizens Concerned for Life (MCCL), the state’s oldest and largest pro-life organization.

"MCCL was hopeful that Gov. Dayton would act to ban the senseless cloning of human beings," said MCCL Executive Director Scott Fischbach. "Human dignity demands that life be respected and protected, not treated as mere raw material in laboratories."

Legislation to ban human cloning in the state, authored by Sen. Michelle Fischbach, R-Paynesville, and Rep. Bob Dettmer, R-Forest Lake, was included in the Health and Human Services omnibus bill. The language was very simple: ban all human cloning, regardless of the intended purpose for the resulting human being. Opponents of the ban, primarily the University of Minnesota, claimed that producing a human organism by cloning and then destroying it after five to 10 days, is not cloning. However, the National Institutes of Health defines cloning as the process of combining an enucleated egg (oocyte) with a somatic (i.e. body) cell nucleus to make an embryo. Whether the cloned embryo is destroyed or allowed to live does not change the definition of cloning.

Minnesota's 1973 Human Conceptus statute (MN Statute 145.422) prohibits "the use of a living human conceptus for any type of scientific, laboratory research or other experimentation." Dr. John Wagner, director of the U of M's Stem Cell Institute, admitted in testimony on March 17 that cloning creates a human conceptus: "Once you insert a nucleus into that oocyte you get an embryo." A cloned embryo cannot be destroyed or used for experiments without violation of the statute.

Pro-life lawmakers also added a ban on taxpayer funding of human cloning to the Higher Education omnibus bill. The Legislature passed a similar ban in 2009 after learning that the U of M was considering conducting human cloning experiments with state funds (the 2009 ban must be reauthorized every two years). The human cloning funding ban would permanently prevent state taxpayer funds from being used to clone human beings.

A 2005 International Communications Research poll showed 75% of Americans strongly oppose the use of human cloning for any reason. For years, poll after poll has shown overwhelming opposition to human cloning in the United States. North and South Dakota, Michigan and Iowa are among the states that have banned human cloning.

Dayton's vetoes today mean that the cloning of human embryos (but not their destruction) remains legal in Minnesota.

"MCCL and the state's large majority who oppose human cloning will continue to work to establish a ban on all forms of human cloning," Fischbach said. "Our hope is that Gov. Dayton will listen to the people and their elected officials, who want to prevent this unethical treatment of human life in our state."

Pro-life legislation headed to Gov. Dayton following bipartisan approval in House, Senate

The following news release was issued today, May 20.

ST. PAUL — Bipartisan majorities in the Minnesota Senate and House of Representatives passed several measures this week aimed at protecting nascent human life. Gov. Dayton has several days to decide whether he will sign the lifesaving legislation, which is strongly supported by Minnesota Citizens Concerned for Life (MCCL).

"Governor Dayton said at the start of the session that he would not sign any extreme measures concerning abortion, and these mainstream bills are anything but extreme," said MCCL Executive Director Scott Fischbach. "MCCL is hopeful that Dayton will move to protect unborn children capable of feeling excruciating pain from abortion, and to end the tyranny of forcing taxpayers to fund elective abortions."

Two pro-life bills have advanced in both chambers. The Pain Capable Unborn Child Protection Act would prohibit abortions after the point in pregnancy at which an unborn child can feel pain, which medical evidence demonstrates is (conservatively) 20 weeks from conception. This legislation is based on the landmark Nebraska law that passed in 2010. Similar laws have passed in three more states this year, and none have been challenged in court by the abortion industry. The pain-capable bill passed the Senate on Monday on a vote of 42-24 after being approved by the House on May 6 by a vote of 82-46. H.F. 936 is authored by Sen. Gretchen Hoffman, R-Vergas, and Rep. Mary Liz Holberg, R-Lakeville.

The ban on taxpayer funding of abortion passed the Senate Monday on a 40-26 vote. The ban was approved by a vote of 80-44 in the House on May 6. H.F. 201, authored by Sen. Dave Thompson, R-Lakeville, and Rep. Peggy Scott, R-Andover, would prohibit taxpayer funding of abortion.

The House passed the conference committee report for the two bills yesterday. The Senate approved the ban on taxpayer funding of abortion this morning; it is expected to approve the pain-capable legislation later today, which would send the two bills to the governor.

The conference committee report on the Health and Human Services omnibus bill was approved late Wednesday in the House and Senate and sent to Gov. Dayton. It includes a ban on human cloning, which would prevent the cloning of human life for laboratory experiments.

In addition, the Higher Education omnibus bill includes a provision to ban taxpayer funding of human cloning. The Legislature passed a similar ban in 2009 after learning that the University of Minnesota was considering conducting human cloning experiments with state funds. Both the House and Senate passed the Higher Education conference committee report this week.

"MCCL is pleased to see these common-sense measures approved by the Legislature," said MCCL Executive Director Scott Fischbach. "Minnesotans established a solidly pro-life Legislature in the November election, and they expect their elected officials to pass greater protections for unborn babies and other vulnerable human lives."

Race for Minnesota governor: Candidates and stakes

Human lives will be at stake on Nov. 2 when voters elect the next governor of Minnesota. Of the three major candidates, only one defends the right to life of every human being, no matter how small, vulnerable and dependent; the other two do not.

Under Gov. Tim Pawlenty, we have enacted pro-life laws that have reduced abortions and saved lives. Abortions in our state have dropped more than 14 percent since Pawlenty took office; the 2009 total was the lowest in 35 years.

But this progress could be reversed under a new governor. Both Mark Dayton and Tom Horner support abortion on demand. Dayton cosponsored the Freedom of Choice Act in the U.S. Senate, which would have wiped out virtually all limits on abortion and made the grotesque partial-birth abortion procedure legal again. Horner says he opposes the Woman's Right to Know informed consent law, which provides basic factual information to pregnant women prior to abortion. Both Dayton and Horner support requiring that every taxpayer pay for elective abortions—a proven means of significantly increasing the number of unborn babies killed.

By contrast, Tom Emmer has a 100 percent pro-life voting record and supports protection for human beings at every stage of development. He coauthored the Positive Alternatives Act to provide help and alternatives to pregnant women in need. He will work to stop taxpayer funding of abortion, forced abortion, sex-selection abortion and other attacks on unborn children and their mothers.

Learn more about where the candidates stand on human life by visiting www.mccl.org.

'A lot is at stake,' and the choice is clear

From the Star Tribune:

A lot is at stake on social issues. The Legislature has been grappling with whether the state should fund embryonic stem cell research [and] ban state funding of abortions. ...

In terms of social issues, Independence Party candidate [for governor] Tom Horner and [DFLer Mark] Dayton agree on many points -- few of which align with [Republican Tom] Emmer, according to their records and statements from the candidates. ...

Dayton is an ardent advocate of abortion rights and is endorsed by Minnesota NARAL. Horner shies away from abortion labels, but said he has no plans to change the law that now allows state-funded abortions for very low-income women. "I would maintain the status quo on Minnesota [abortion] laws," Horner said in an interview, adding that his goal is reducing the number of abortions.

Emmer has voted to bar state money from funding abortion, and has a consistent record of opposing abortion.

Both Horner and Dayton support state funding for embryonic stem cell research, which Emmer opposes.