by Evan Stambaugh
Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz claimed that a whole host of “rights,” such as “women’s rights to work in the workplace,” may be targeted following the Supreme Court’s reversal of Roe v. Wade.
At a Tuesday press conference discussing the “future” of abortion with Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan, Walz stressed the importance of ensuring continued abortion access in Minnesota, vowing that the state will never curtail it under his leadership.
“I know that there are millions across this state who are watching this decision closely,” Walz said. “If you’re one of those people, if you’re a father like I am of a 21-year-old daughter who wonders what’s next: contraception, marriage equality, women’s rights to work in the workplace, equal pay, all of the things …”
“This move takes us back, and all of those rights are at risk,” he added.
Walz’s remarks likely allude to Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas’ concurring opinion in the Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health case that upheld Mississippi’s abortion ban and overruled Roe v. Wade.
Thomas wrote that the Court would do well to “reconsider” past rulings involving “substantive due process,” specifically mentioning cases that struck down state anti-contraception laws (Griswold v. Connecticut) and anti-sodomy laws (Lawrence v. Texas), as well as Obergefell v. Hodges, which established same-sex “marriage” as a constitutional right.
Aside from not mentioning “equal pay” or “women’s rights to work in the workplace,” Thomas himself clarified that the Dobbs ruling has no present effect on those other substantive due process precedents as such.
Furthermore, any hypothetical reversals of those precedents would simply return the issues to the states, and no major Republican governors or state legislators have publicly vowed to make same-sex “marriage,” sodomy, and contraception illegal once more.
Also in the press conference, Walz sharply contrasted himself with Republican gubernatorial challenger Dr. Scott Jensen, calling Jensen’s pro-life convictions “extreme.”
Jensen responded to Walz in a four-minute video posted to Twitter late Tuesday morning, explaining his stance and calling for a debate.
“The bottom line is, for me, we’re dealing with two lives,” he said. “I don’t want to have this be a bitter witch hunt, but I believe that the focus has to be on both lives. And the question is, when does the government afford the life of the child … the protection of the Constitution of the United States?”
Abortion remains legal in Minnesota because of a 1995 state Supreme Court ruling called Doe v. Gomez.
Tim Walz is the extremist on abortion. 9 months A-okay with him? Is anyone going to ask him that today? That's radical and out of step with most Minnesotans.
Let's have the conversation and debate. We have a lot to talk about anyway, governor! pic.twitter.com/xX3K39arRO
— Scott Jensen (@drscottjensen) June 28, 2022
– – –
Evan Stambaugh is a freelance writer who had previously been a sports blogger. He has a BA in theology and an MA in philosophy.
