Keith Ellison Warns Against Minnesota Crisis Pregnancy Centers

TWIN CITIES, MN — Crisis pregnancy centers are eligible for public funding in Minnesota, but Attorney General Keith Ellison says residents should avoid them.

Ellison on Tuesday issued a consumer alert that said these types of centers have "limited services" and have a "potentially deceptive nature."

"Many crisis pregnancy centers claim to offer comprehensive healthcare, but their purpose is to prevent pregnant people from accessing that right — which sometimes they accomplish by misleading, misinforming, or deceiving people," Ellison said.

"I want to alert Minnesotans that crisis pregnancy centers often do not offer the services they claim to offer, and that the information about abortion and contraception they offer may be inaccurate or misleading."

Crisis pregnancy centers are eligible for public funding in Minnesota under the state's "Positive Alternatives" law.

According to the Minnesota Department of Health, Positive Alternatives grants "provide funds to non-profit organizations promoting healthy pregnancy outcomes and assisting pregnant and parenting women in developing and maintaining family stability and self-sufficiency."

In 2021, $3,357,000 in grants were awarded for a five-year period, the department said.

Ellison's office cited a recent study from the abortion rights group "Alliance" that found that crisis pregnancy centers outnumber abortion clinics in Minnesota by an 11:1 ratio, and that nearly two-thirds of Minnesota CPCs make false or biased medical claims about abortions.

However, advocates for the centers say they provide crucial services to their communities, including childcare, medical care, parenting classes, free clothes and diapers, assistance with the adoption process, and educational support.

"Keith Ellison is acting like an advocate for the abortion industry, not for Minnesota women. Pregnancy care centers provide practical help and alternatives to abortion so that women don't feel like abortion is the only option," Minnesota Citizens Concerned for Life told Patch in a statement.

"Relying on a 'report' produced by abortion advocacy groups, the attorney general is targeting these compassionate centers with misleading criticism while showing absolutely no concern about Minnesota's abortion facilities, which are not licensed or inspected by the state. Ellison's pro-abortion bias is on full display."

Patch has reached out to crisis pregnancy centers in Minnesota for comment.