Pro-life advocates in Minnesota are on the right track to saving babies — in a way that’s far more creative, and likely to pass, than many similar anti-abortion measures Congress has attempted to pass. Lawmakers introduced S.F. 2849, which would guarantee a woman’s right to view her baby with an ultrasound, prior to choosing an abortion. The House is also introducing a version. The bill would add a paragraph to the existing 2003 Woman’s Right to Know informed consent statute.
Of course, Minnesota Citizens Concerned for Life, the state’s oldest and largest pro-life organization, supports the measure. “Women have a right to be well-informed before undergoing any medical procedure, including abortion,” said MCCL Legislative Director Andrea Rau. “Ultrasound provides factual, medical information that should not be withheld from women.”
While there’s perhaps not as much evidence as pro-life advocates would like there to be that says women are changing their minds about abortions, once they have seen the ultrasound of their baby, there is some evidence. In contrast to the black and white, flat sketches previous ultrasounds used to offer pregnant women, ultrasounds are so advanced now that 3D/4D technology reflects a baby that actually looks like a plump tiny person with flesh and expressions (as there are!).
Lifesite reports, “At the 2018 MCCL March for Life, Carla Stream shared her story of undergoing an abortion after an abortion facility did not allow her to see her ultrasound. Stream said she would have rejected abortion had she been allowed to see her unborn child, which at 10 weeks already had arms and legs, fingers and toes.”
Legislation of this nature, that attempts to go on offense at the state level — rather banning abortion after a few weeks at the federal level — has a far likelier chance of passing, especially in certain states. In Minnesota, there is a GOP majority in the House and in the Senate (although only by one vote). While a federal ban on abortion past six weeks, the “Heartbeat Bill,” wasn’t successful, a similar Iowa ban on abortions was passed in the Senate and could very well pass in the House due to a GOP majority.
It’s encouraging to see states take pro-life issues that reflect constituents’ desires and address them appropriately at that level and in a way that’s convincing and effective.
Nicole Russell is a contributor to the Washington Examiner’s Beltway Confidential blog. She is a journalist in Washington, D.C., who previously worked in Republican politics in Minnesota. She was the 2010 recipient of the American Spectator’s Young Journalist Award.
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