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During last year’s contentious gubernatorial election, Governor. Tim Walz seems to talk about abortion most often. The governor has daily berated his opponent as “extreme,” while claiming his voice is the softer of two on the difficult issue. He has vehemently denied Republican assertions that he supports abortion before birth, and has claimed support for “maintaining the timeline set forth in the current law” that allows for elective abortions before fetuses are viable.
Polls show the governor’s position is popular. We also now know it was completely dishonest.
On Tuesday, Walz dropped (enthusiastically) his campaign promise with surprising ease, signing the radical PRO bill (“Abortion Rights Now Guaranteed in State Law,” Front Page, Feb. 1). Terrible legislation allows termination of pregnancy before delivery – for whatever reason. This is a huge victory for the shady abortion industry and a devastating loss for innocent unborn babies.
His DFL allies in the state legislature, without protest from the governor, vetoed sensible Republican amendments to the bill, such as banning abortions based on race or sex and banning post-abortion procedures eighth Pregnancy for one month, unless the life or health of the mother is in danger. They even vetoed parental notification requests when kids had issues.
Governor, who is the real radical?
Our state now has some of the most extreme anti-life laws in the world. I don’t think Minnesotans are going to vote for this and don’t like being ripped off. We should change course and change the dark direction the DFL is leading us in the next election.
Andy Bream, St.Paul
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I applaud the administration of Walz and the Minnesota Legislature for giving women the legal right to do what every man is entitled to: Make their own health care decisions. Predictably, Republicans who oppose the PRO bill are playing a deceitful PR game to justify their opposition to women’s right to self-determination by calling the bill extreme when, in fact, they will not support protection This right is legal in any form. One need only look at Justice Samuel Alito citing a 17th-century misogynist when he overturned Roe, former Vice President Mike Pence advocating a national abortion ban, and nationwide efforts to bring birth control Measures criminalized, pre-election Minnesota GOP talking points No statute This is necessary because of existing case law, and Scott Jensen’s explicit campaign against abortion to understand what they pretend The true nature of anger.
If Republicans really want to make legislation better, they’re going to involve their colleagues in the process because they know they’re not going to get everything they want, and they’re going to be legislators, not just know The word “no” frustrates extremists. If they don’t want to, do us all a favor; at least be honest and speak up about what you so clearly believe: women are second class citizens and cannot be trusted to make their own decisions.
Kelly Dahl of Linden Grove, MN
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Government’s attempt. Walz holding Minnesota together isn’t going to work. With the recent abortion bill, he has the opportunity to combine abortion with safe and reasonable guardrails. A bipartisan poll showed that 81 percent of the country does not support unrestricted abortion. Most people in this state have a moral compass and disagree with late-term abortions (and letting babies die after unsuccessful attempts). The bill also allows for the sterilization of children without parental notification or consent. Governor Walz, please don’t use the term “One Minnesota” in the future. This is hypocrisy, hypocrisy and a downright lie.
Tamaralas, Eden Prairie
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Thank you Minnesota lawmakers for passing the Protection of Reproductive Choice (PRO) Act last week. As a medical student and future healthcare provider, I value living in a state where legislators trust healthcare providers to practice medicine in the best interest of their patients without government interference.
As medical students, despite the long hours and years of training we endure, we are also often reminded that no matter how much training or knowledge we have, our patients ultimately know themselves better than anyone else. We are taught to use our expertise to guide our patients so that our patients can ultimately make informed decisions about their health and future. Decisions about any health care, including reproductive health care, should stay where medical decisions belong: between providers and their patients. This week, Minnesota achieved that goal.
Because Minnesota is now one of the few states in the Midwest to offer comprehensive reproductive health care, including abortion, patients from neighboring states rely on us for care they can no longer get back home. Now is the time for Minnesota to set a precedent for the Midwest. With the passage of the PRO Act, we are allowing current and future physicians to practice the medicine they have been trained to do for so long. Most importantly, we allow each Minnesotan to decide for himself what to do with his body.
Brianna Wenande, Minneapolis
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It was with great sadness that I read the headlines about abortion laws on Wednesday morning. Many smiles, but no tears for the mental, physical, and spiritual pain that will accompany so many women who have abortions.
Why is there no mention of sperm from men, boys and men impregnating these girls and women? Why were they never asked to take reproductive responsibility?
Things have to change. We cannot continue to kill fetuses without doing anything to prevent unwanted pregnancies.
Kay Breen of Brainerd, MN
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A mother accused of shooting her 6-year-old son did not want to see the body (“Defendant asks not to see evidence,” Feb. 1).
Can a good defense attorney get her off? After all, six years ago, she could have done it privately in a way that never required her to check the results. She would even be praised for exercising a fundamental right.
She just made the wrong timing.
Ross Olsen, Richfield
Mori.Dave Durenberg
Many years ago, the Senator was on a flight home from Washington, DC. Dave Durenberger is just a few rows ahead (“Republican Senator Stresses ‘Shared Value of Civic Engagement’,” Feb. 1). I didn’t want to bother him since he was preoccupied with the paperwork, so I handed him a note inviting him to the small community Memorial Day flag-raising ceremony hosted by my father-in-law, WWII veteran Bob White for many years.
A few days later, the Senator’s staff responded very kindly, saying that the Senator appreciated the invitation but had already committed to the large Memorial Day ceremony at Fort Snellin. They said he would try to attend the flag-raising ceremony, but it would be a challenge.
I appreciated the follow-up and thought his presence was unlikely.
On Memorial Day morning, just as Bob began to welcome the neighbors, the senator. Durenberger and his crew arrive. He spent most of the morning in Fort Snelling, but still made time for our much smaller but very meaningful gathering.
In the wrong hands, politics can become a cynical business. But for Sen. Durenberger, that’s a respectable profession, and he did it very generously on Memorial Day morning. We need more Dave Durenbergers.
Jim Triggs, Idina