Archbishop Bernard Hebda said he was “profoundly saddened” after learning that elected officials in both St. Paul and Minneapolis declared Tuesday “abortion provider appreciation day” in their cities.
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Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey followed St. Paul’s lead in declaring Tuesday “abortion provider appreciation day” in the city.
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The St. Paul City Council unanimously approved of a resolution Wednesday night to recognize March 10 as “Abortion Providers Appreciation Day” in the city.
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A bill introduced last week in the Minnesota House would make it a gross misdemeanor to interfere with “access to reproductive health services and facilities.”
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A Democrat-backed bill making its way through the Minnesota Legislature seeks to repeal the state’s informed consent laws for abortion.
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The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) of Ohio recently erected ten billboards across the state to inform residents that “abortion is still legal in Ohio.”
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Thousands of Minnesotans gathered on the steps of the State Capitol Wednesday afternoon for the annual March for Life.
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Two Republican members of Ohio’s congressional delegation have signed on as cosponsors of a bill that would end tax deductions for abortions. The IRS currently allows residents to deduct medical and dental expenses from their taxes if they exceed 7.5 percent of a person’s adjusted gross income. Legal abortions and birth control pills are both treated as tax-deductible expenses, but a bill introduced by Rep. Andy Biggs (R-AZ-05) seeks to change that. His bill, H.R. 2742, would amend the federal tax code to “provide that amounts paid for an abortion are not taken into account for purposes of the deduction for medical expenses.” The bill currently has 22 Republican cosponsors, including Reps. Bob Gibbs (R-OH-07) (pictured, right) and Bob Latta (R-OH-05) (pictured, left). “The ending of a human life should not be a part of a taxpayer’s money-saving strategy when they file their taxes each April,” Latta said in a press release. “I’m proud to support legislation to remove financial incentives for abortions, and will continue to work with the pro-life caucus to end all federal funding streams for them.” Biggs, in a statement provided to The Daily Signal, said that the “Abortion Is Not Health Care Act” is…
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by Chris White A pro-life group believes pro-choice activists likely pressured Instagram into suppressing and removing the group’s content and hashtags from the platform’s most popular feature. Let Them Live’s Instagram’s posts stopped appearing on numerous hashtags starting on April 18, the group claimed in a May 15 press statement posted to its Instagram page. The group, which has 15,000 Instagram followers, brought its case directly to the company on April 25 as the group’s engagement rate sagged. Instagram never responded, according to the group’s executive director, Nathan Berning. The group’s content was removed from hashtags and Instagram’s Explore, a feature on the platform displaying the most-liked content at the time of a person’s visit. Content on the feature is different for each Instagram user and comprises posts liked by people, posts from accounts similar to those a person follows,and posts with high engagement. Groups often use Explore to help their content go viral. Berning speculates that pro-choice activists played a role. “We really do believe that that is what is happening,” Berning told The Daily Caller News Foundation, referring to what he believes is an activist-led attempt to suppress Let Them Live’s content. Berning claims his group leveraged…
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Ohio Democrat and 2020 presidential candidate Tim Ryan said on Thursday that he would “most definitely” have a Roe v. Wade “litmus test” for Supreme Court nominees, were he to become president. “If you’re president, would you essentially have a Roe litmus test for judges?” host Chuck Todd asked on MSBNC’s “Meet the Press” Thursday night. “Yeah. Yeah, I would. Most definitely. Pure and simple. At this moment in history, people can try to dance around it. I will have someone who will protect Roe v. Wade. No question about it,” Ryan responded. WATCH: Presidential candidate @TimRyan says he would “most definitely” have a Roe v. Wade litmus test for Supreme Court judges as president. #MTPDaily pic.twitter.com/FKUuUOLfPT — Meet the Press (@MeetThePress) May 16, 2019 Ryan has been particularly vocal about his pro-choice positions as of late, especially after Alabama passed what Democrats are calling “the most extreme anti-choice measure in the country.” “Absolutely appalling move from lawmakers in Alabama,” Ryan said in response to the news. “This would effectively ban all abortions—including cases of rape and incest, punish women, and threaten doctors. Government has no place in this conversation.” Absolutely appalling move from lawmakers in Alabama. This would…
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A Republican-backed bill making its way through the Ohio House would require the Ohio Department of Health and the state’s board of education to develop an instructional program that teaches “the humanity of the unborn child.” Each school district would then have the option of teaching the program or crafting its own instructional materials, which must “describe the unborn child in two-week gestational periods,” according to State Rep. Niraj Antani (R-Montgomery County), lead sponsor of the bill. House Bill 90 explicitly states that its goal is to provide “information about the humanity of an unborn child” and achieve “an abortion-free society.” The bill would also require the Department of Health to create materials with “the most readily available, accurate, scientifically verifiable, up-to-date information” that “clearly and consistently state that abortion kills a living human being.” The bill was referred to the House Health Committee, where it received its fourth hearing Tuesday. “Schools have the ability to directly influence the lives of students. Unfortunately, schools do not have the ability to teach about the importance of human life, as the rights of the unborn have been constantly under attack,” Antani said in his sponsor testimony. “My legislation would help school…
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Cleveland’s Preterm abortion clinic has had to place two 911 calls in the month of April alone after patients were bleeding “heavy” in response to abortion procedures. The incidents were exposed by Operation Rescue, who obtained the 911 recordings from both events. The first medical emergency occurred on April 5, when an ambulance, a fire unit, and five police cars responded to a 911 call from the clinic. Inside, a 31-year-old woman was hemorrhaging after her procedure and was brought out on a gurney with a sheet covering her head. One onlooker told Operation Rescue that an elevator repair service was at Preterm during the incident. Operation Rescue says that the clinic has had “chronic reliability” issues with its one elevator—the only way a gurney can access the surgical floor. Emergency records show that 37 minutes elapsed between the time of the ambulance’s arrival at Preterm and when the patient arrived at University Hospital. “We have warned of the dangers posed by this abortion facility and its unreliable elevator until we are blue in the face,” Operation Rescue President Troy Newman said in a press release. “We have urged the Ohio Department of Health to close preterm due to its…
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One of the most divisive and talked-about bills in Ohio’s history is officially on its way to Gov. Mike DeWine’s desk and is expected to be signed into law at any moment. After months of debate and numerous committee hearings, the heartbeat bill passed the Ohio House Wednesday afternoon in a 56-40 vote along party lines. It then went back to the Senate where changes made to the bill in the House were approved in an 18-13 vote. According to Cleveland-based reporter Laura Hancock, four Republicans voted against the bill in the Senate, since it doesn’t include exceptions for rape or incest. Here is the roll call in the #senate Which quickly voted to go with changes made in the Ohio house to #heartbeat #abortion bill. pic.twitter.com/PscVpnLE9P — Laura Hancock (@laurahancock) April 10, 2019 The House Health Committee was still hearing witness testimony on the bill as early as Tuesday, when several pro-choice religious organizations testified against it, as The Ohio Star reported. Protesters and activists from both sides of the debate gathered in the House chambers during Wednesday’s vote. While representatives were casting their votes, pro-abortion activists held a banner over the upper railings of the chambers, which read:…
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The House version of Ohio’s heartbeat bill passed out of committee Tuesday, but not before a final round of impassioned debate. The House Health Committee heard from four final witnesses, some of whom represented religious organizations opposed to the bill. Gaby Garcia-Vera with Catholics for Choice, for instance, claimed during his testimony that the “majority of Catholics” support abortion. “Catholic teaching reveres individual conscience as the final arbiter in moral decision-making. As Catholics, we are called by our faith to follow our consciences when we make moral decisions about our lives. We also deeply respect the right of others to do the same,” he said. “Catholics support each woman’s ability to make personal choices that are right for herself and her family, including whether to become or remain pregnant, according to her own beliefs and based on her own conscience. Rather than respecting women’s consciences, as our Catholic faith compels us to do, SB 23 would allow politicians to decide whether and when a woman can access abortion care.” Elaina Ramsey, executive director of the Ohio Religious Coalition for Reproductive Choice, said during her testimony that the heartbeat bill “does not reflect the values of the majority of Ohioans and…
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Ohio House Republicans added substantial new provisions to their version of the “heartbeat bill” that have the potential to make one of the state’s most controversial pieces of legislation even more divisive. While the Senate already passed its version of the bill last month, it is still making its way through the committee process in the House. During its third hearing for the bill Tuesday, the Ohio House Health Committee adopted several changes to the text of the bill. One of those changes would allow the Ohio State Medical Board to fine up to $10,000 for “each separate violation or failure of a person to comply” with the provisions of the bill. Money collected through these fines would then be deposited into a new “Foster Care and Adoption Initiatives Fund,” which would be established upon the bill’s passage. Another change would require the Ohio Director of Health to adopt rules “specifying the appropriate methods of performing an examination for the purpose of determining the presence of a fetal heartbeat of an unborn human individual.” Along those lines, the new changes prevent the exclusion of transvaginal ultrasounds “as a method of detection.” Transvaginal ultrasounds, as opposed to abdominal ultrasounds, can detect…
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The Ohio Senate passed one of the most comprehensive and impactful abortion limitations in the country Wednesday. Senate Bill 23 (SB 23), commonly referred to as the “Heartbeat Bill” would ban all abortions once a heartbeat can be detected by a doctor. In many cases, this can be as early as six weeks. This is the third time in the last decade that the bill, or a version of it, has been considered by the state. The first two bills were advanced by, both, the Ohio House and Senate. They were subsequently vetoed by then-Governor John Kasich. Following his 2018 veto, Kasich defended his decision, stating: I have a deep respect for my fellow members of the pro-life community and their ongoing efforts in defense of unborn life. However, the central provision of Sub. H.B. 258, that an abortion cannot be performed if a heartbeat has been detected in the unborn child, is contrary to the Supreme Court of the United States’ current rulings on abortion. Because the lower federal courts are bound to follow the U.S. Supreme Court’s precedents on abortion, Sub. H.B. 258 will likely be struck down as unconstitutional. The State of Ohio will be the losing…
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Sen. Tina Smith (D-MN), a former Planned Parenthood executive, is proudly defending her vote against a bill that would protect babies who survive botched abortions. “Colleagues, that’s what this bill does. It would give the politicians in this room the power to make medical decisions for women and their families. This bill intimidates providers and forces physicians to provide inappropriate medical treatment, even when it’s not in the best interest of the patient or her family,” Smith said during a Senate floor debate Monday. Lawmakers shouldn't dictate what doctors can or cannot do to deliver the best medical care for women. We need to continue to trust women & their doctors. I took to the Senate floor today to talk about this, & I will continue to make my voice heard for women in MN and our nation. pic.twitter.com/9bwJYRBoyT — Senator Tina Smith (@SenTinaSmith) February 25, 2019 She went on to argue that the bill, if passed, would “put doctors in an untenable position” of being forced to decide between following “the law” or their “code of professional ethics.” “Colleagues, let’s get out of the business of dictating medical care for women. Let’s continue to trust women and their doctors,”…
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Several pieces of pro-life legislation have been introduced by Republicans in both the Minnesota House and Senate. While they all face uphill battles against a Democratic-controlled House and a progressive in the Governor’s Mansion, pro-life leaders think that at least some of the measures should attract bipartisan support. Senate File (SF) 1168 and House File (HF) 1108, for instance, would require physicians to allow women seeking abortions to first see ultrasounds of their children. “Ultrasound imaging provides women with factual medical information,” Minnesota Citizens Concerned for Life (MCCL) Legislative Director Andrea Rau said of the companion bills. “When people are better informed, they make better decisions that result in fewer regrets. Women deserve the chance to decide for themselves whether or not to see their child,” Rau added. According to MCCL, the bills are “completely mainstream legislation,” since 28 other states already have similar provisions written into their informed-consent laws for abortions. The Minnesota Legislature did pass an ultrasound bill in 2018, but it was vetoed by former Gov. Mark Dayton (D-MN). A second set of companion bills would prohibit abortions from being performed after 20 weeks of pregnancy, which is when “scientific evidence shows that unborn children can feel…
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Minnesota’s Republican legislators called a press conference Thursday in the lobby of the Minnesota Capitol to oppose the radical pro-abortion measures being passed across the country. As was widely reported, Gov. Andrew Cuomo (D-NY) signed the Reproductive Rights Act into law last week, clearing the way for abortions up to the moment of birth. In Virginia, State Del. Kathy Tran introduced The Repeal Act, a similar bill that would appeal restrictions on third-trimester abortions. Discussing Tran’s legislation on WTOP, Gov. Ralph Northam (D-VA) hinted that the bill could allow for letting newborn infants die. “So in this particular example if a mother is in labor, I can tell you exactly what would happen, the infant would be delivered. The infant would be kept comfortable. The infant would be resuscitated if that’s what the mother and the family desired, and then a discussion would ensue between the physicians and the mother,” Northam said. It’s unclear precisely what Northam was suggesting, but many took it to mean that The Repeal Act would legalize what is essentially infanticide. With a Democratic governor and a new Democratic House majority, Minnesota’s Republicans made it clear Thursday that they would oppose any similar legislation in the…
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Indiana Attorney General Curtis Hill is speaking out against New York’s radical new abortion law, which allows abortions “up until the very moment before the child’s birth.” Hill explains that late-term abortions are now permissible so long as they are deemed “necessary” to protect the mother’s health, including her emotional health. “New York’s extreme new pro-abortion law is backward and barbaric,” Hill writes in an op-ed for Fox News. “Because an unwanted child will always impact the mother’s emotional health, the law permits killing a child – who otherwise could survive outside the womb – based solely on the mother’s preferences at the moment.” Up until now, Hill notes, the viability of a child has “largely been regarded as a sacrosanct barrier against pure utilitarian calculus,” but in New York that is “no more.” “Everyone should support the health and equality of women, but New York has removed physician-only health protections and now permits killing viable babies even if only because they are girls. And while allowing unfettered decisions about abortion sounds like a liberationist dream, it leads to sickening and decidedly anti-woman outcomes,” Hill continues. “In some countries, eugenic abortions are eliminating the down syndrome population; elsewhere they are…
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A state judge ruled Tuesday, the anniversary of Roe v. Wade, that Iowa’s “heartbeat bill” banning abortions after the detection of a fetal heartbeat is unconstitutional. The bill was signed into law by Gov. Kim Reynolds (R-IA) in May 2018, but was placed on hold after Planned Parenthood of the Heartland and Emma Goldman Clinic sued the state. On Tuesday, Polk County District Judge Michael Huppert ruled against the state and declared the heartbeat bill to be “unconstitutional and therefore void.” “In summary, it is undisputed that the threshold for the restriction upon a woman’s fundamental right to terminate a pregnancy (the detection of a fetal heartbeat) contained within Iowa Code chapter 146C constitutes a prohibition of previability abortions,” Huppert stated in his ruling. “As such, it is violative of both due process and equal protection provisions of the Iowa Constitution as not being narrowly tailored to serve the compelling state interest of promoting potential life.” Huppert borrowed language from the Iowa Supreme Court’s 2018 ruling against imposing a 72-hour waiting period on abortions, which he frequently cites throughout his decision. Like Huppert, the Iowa Supreme Court declared in its 2018 decision that “a woman’s right to decide whether to…
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Rep. Betty McCollum (D-MN-04), a Catholic, has a rating of 100 percent from the pro-choice organization NARAL, and a corresponding zero percent from National Right to Life. According to the Catholic League for Religious and Civil Liberty, McCollum has voted with pro-choice causes 100 percent of the time. Between 2015 and 2016, McCollum voted against 15 pro-life bills in Congress, as did Gov. Tim Walz (D-MN), who is Lutheran. NARAL touts McCollum’s perfect score on its website, providing a list of the dozens of pro-life bills she has opposed. While a U.S. congressman, Walz also earned a score of 100 percent from NARAL. Rep. Tom Emmer (R-MN-06) is currently the only Catholic Minnesotan member of Congress with a pro-life record, and has a National Right to Life score of 100 percent. Rep. Pete Stauber (R-MN-08) is also “steadfastly pro-life” and Catholic, but doesn’t have a voting history as a freshman member of Congress. “The 163 Catholics in the new Congress are split on abortion: almost all Republicans are pro life and almost all Democrats are abortion-rights advocates,” Catholic League President Bill Donohue said in a press release. “It is obvious that religion is not a reliable predictor of the way…
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Amelia Bonow, co-founder of the popular pro-choice “Shout Your Abortion” organization, recently released a video of her discussing her abortion with children, and said she plans to release a children’s book on abortion in 2020. “I let a bunch of kids grill me about my abortion and it was great. Shout Your Abortion will be releasing a children’s book about abortion in 2020,” Bonow tweeted December 28, linking to a video of her defending abortion in conversations with children. I let a bunch of kids grill me about my abortion and it was great. #ShoutYourAbortion will be releasing a children’s book about abortion in 2020! https://t.co/1LSxdyf9f8 — Amelia Bonow (@ameliabonow) December 29, 2018 Bonow goes into detail about how she got pregnant, noting that her partner “wasn’t wearing a condom,” and describes in her own terms how an abortion works. “You go to the doctor and they put this little straw inside of your cervix and then inside of your uterus, and then they just suck the pregnancy out. It was like a crappy dentist appointment or something. It was just like this is like a body thing that’s kind of uncomfortable, but then it was over, and I felt…
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by Troy Worden The organization which holds “the largest pro-life event in the world” has formally announced the theme for its next march in 2019: “Unique from day one: Pro-life is pro-science.” This Thursday the March for Life Education and Defense Fund, a pro-life organization which aims to “end abortion by uniting, educating, and mobilizing pro-life people in the public square,” unveiled a new pro-science theme for its 46th annual March for Life. Join us at the #MarchforLife on January 18th 2019! The 2019 theme is: #UniqueFromDayOne: pro-life is pro-science. #whywemarch Full video: https://t.co/jdqw3P6Wnv pic.twitter.com/mq214YLDyc — March for Life (@March_for_Life) October 18, 2018 “Science is behind the pro-life movement,” Jeanne Mancini, president of the organization, said at the opening of the event, which was held at the Rayburn House Building on Capitol Hill. One hundred years ago, our understanding of embryonic development and fetal development was very different that what it is now. We owe so many advances to medicine and science and technology, and they all continue to reaffirm the scientific fact and the truth that life begins at fertilization/conception. “‘No good scientist worth their salt says that life doesn’t begin at conception,’ Mancini added, quoting what an…
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by Grace Carr Fox News guest and PJ Media contributor Denise McAllister stated that abortion advocates regard the procedure as an easy solution for irresponsible sex and has since been met with death and rape threats, she told The Daily Caller News Foundation. After McAllister sent out a Sept. 6 tweet “reacting to the Kavanaugh insanity,” she said she received a deluge of direct messages calling her “hateful, awful, terrible,” and that she should be aborted, she said Wednesday. https://twitter.com/McAllisterDen/status/1037678444967079937 She said her tweet prompted a slew of threats against her life and family’s safety. “The vitriol and the way they were delivered is quite frightening,” McAllister told TheDCNF. “I am facing legit death & rape threats because I have dared to call out women who are hysterical about abortion and to challenge them to be responsible and not to elevate sex to the point that they’re willing to kill human life to avoid their responsibilities,” she tweeted Sunday. McAllister also said a number of people had gotten hold of her private number and have been threatening to rape and strangle her over the phone. Her home is now on police watch. “I can’t go outside with having someone who is armed accompany…
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by Neetu Chandak Activists sent coat hangers to Maine Sen. Susan Collins’s office to protest against confirming Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh. The Republican senator’s office received 3,000 coat hangers, which served as reminders of back-alley abortions, according to The Associated Press Saturday. Collins and Alaska Republican Sen. Lisa Murkowski, who both support abortion rights, are considered as crucial voters for Kavanaugh to be confirmed. “I have voted for Justice [Sonia] Sotomayor, and I’ve also voted for Justice [Samuel] Alito,” Collins said, the AP reported. The two judges have opposite ideological perspectives. Collins added that she would not make a decision on Kavanaugh until his confirmation hearing was over, according to the AP. The four-day hearing before the Senate Judiciary Committee ended Friday. “I was shocked when many of my colleagues on both sides of the aisle took a position on the nominee before his identity was even known,” Collins said. “That’s just extraordinary.” Pro-choice supporters believe Kavanaugh would help overturn Roe v. Wade, the 1973 Supreme Court case that legalized abortions. “I want to be clear that a vote for any of the proposed nominees on [President Donald] Trump’s list is a vote to overturn Roe v. Wade,” co-founder of the protest group Indivisible…
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by Emily Larsen Many people on Twitter said that Planned Parenthood receives $500 million in government money every year. Planned Parenthood performs 160 abortions for every adoption referral Zero mammograms Spends millions to elect radical Democrats Performs 324,000 abortions a year If they truly did such important work, make them go find the $500 million without taxpayer support or subsidy — Charlie Kirk (@charliekirk11) May 18, 2018 “If they truly did such important work, make them go find the $500 million without taxpayer support or subsidy,” Charlie Kirk, founder of Turning Point USA, tweeted. Yes, Trump is cutting Planned Parenthood funding, and should be praised for doing so. However, it's only about a tenth of the $500 million in funding he just gave them in the omnibus last month. It's a positive step, yes, but this is not keeping a promise. This is a first step. — Steve Deace (@SteveDeaceShow) May 18, 2018 “Yes, Trump is cutting Planned Parenthood funding, and should be praised for doing so. However, it’s only about a tenth of the $500 million in funding he just gave them in the omnibus last month,” CRTV host Steve Deace said in another tweet. Cutting $55 million…
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An advocate for the dignity and life of all human beings is calling out the hypocrisy she’s seen on Twitter this week, after the social media giant shared support for women everywhere — except for women who are pro-life. “We stand with women around the world to make their voices heard and their presence known.
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