Anti-Abortion Group Condemns 'Extreme' Court Ruling In Minnesota

MINNEAPOLIS — The leader of a Minneapolis-based anti-abortion group has condemned a district court ruling that struck down Minnesota's major abortion restrictions.

On Monday, a Ramsey County judge ruled that the restrictions violated the state constitution.

Judge Thomas Gilligan's ruling ended the state's mandatory 24-hour waiting period, the two-parent notification requirement for girls under the age of 18, and a state law that says only physicians can perform abortions.

"The laws challenged in this case are commonsense measures that support and empower pregnant women," said Scott Fischbach, the executive director for Minnesotans Citizens Concern for Life Executive.

"Today's ruling striking them down is extreme and without a foundation in the Minnesota Constitution. Even the U.S. Supreme Court, under Roe v. Wade and subsequent decisions, allowed these very modest types of laws. Yet today's ruling blocks them and prevents Minnesotans from enacting reasonable protections for unborn children and their mothers. The decision must be appealed."

In his decision, Gilligan cited Doe. v. Gomez, a 1995 Minnesota Supreme Court ruling that found that the state's constitution guarantees the right of every resident to an abortion up to 20 weeks.

According to the MCCL, Minnesota's "Woman's Right to Know" law "ensures that women receive basic factual information prior to undergoing abortion—so that they can properly give their full consent before submitting to a surgical or chemical abortion procedure."

"A lot of women have been helped by these policies," said Fischbach. "Now they will be harmed as these protections are taken away by an egregiously mistaken court ruling, one that goes well beyond Roe v. Wade. This mistake must be corrected."

Meanwhile, pro-abortion rights groups celebrated the ruling as a rare win in the wake of the U.S. Supreme Court's move to overturn Roe v. Wade last month.

Our Justice, which sued the state over its abortion restrictions, tweeted that "We can tell you firsthand how these restrictions have delayed and obstructed care for our clients. These laws aren’t just unconstitutional, they’re unjust. This decision could make abortion much more accessible for people in MN."

It's not yet clear of the state will appeal the court's decision.