Editor's note. The following two items were sent to us by Minnesota Citizens Concerned for Life. MCCL is National Right to Life's Minnesota affiliate.

ST. PAUL -- More than 43,000 unborn babies have been killed since the Dec. 15, 1995, Minnesota Supreme Court Doe v. Gomez ruling established the most extreme abortion-on-demand decision in the nation, according to Minnesota Department of Human Services (MDHS).

"The Doe v. Gomez ruling by a handful of extremist judges has been disastrous for Minnesota women and their babies," said Scott Fischbach, Executive Director of Minnesota Citizens Concerned for Life (MCCL). "On this 13th anniversary of the decision, Minnesotans do not believe it is the mission of the state to abort thousands of innocent unborn children each year, yet that is exactly what is happening under this radical ruling."

The Supreme Court's Doe v. Gomez decision established a new state constitutional "right" to abortion on demand. This right would remain protected by the state Constitution even if Roe v. Wade, the 1973 decision legalizing abortion in the United States, were to be overturned by the U.S. Supreme Court.

Doe v. Gomez allows abortions for reasons such as "stress" or "discomfort." It forbids the state to "interfere" in any way with a woman's "decision-making" about abortion.

Doe v. Gomez also obligates the state--and thus, taxpayers--to pay for abortions, something not required by the U.S. Supreme Court. From June 1994 through 2006, state taxpayers paid more than $12.5 million for 43,201 abortions, according to the MDHS. In 2006 alone (the most recent statistics available), state taxpayers paid $1.65 million for 3,937 abortions (MDHS). This was a staggering 17 percent increase over the prior year; the number is projected to reach $2 million in 2008. The state does not record how many women have died from these abortions.

While the total number of abortions in the state is declining slightly, taxpayer funding of abortions is on the rise. Minnesota taxpayers now pay for 28 percent of all abortions performed in the state.

"This is not the will of the majority of Minnesotans, who oppose abortion on demand, and it is not the function of state government to fund the destruction of its most powerless innocent citizens," Fischbach said. "The Court took away the people's right to decide whether they want abortion on demand in the state and whether they should be required to pay for others' elective abortions. It's time for change in Minnesota."

Baby Born in Ottertail Co. Shows Law is Working
More than 50 families ready to provide a home for Safe Haven newborn

On Monday, Dec. 8, a newborn baby boy was dropped off at a Fergus Falls hospital in Ottertail Co. As part of Minnesota's Safe Haven program, newborn babies can be dropped off at any hospital in the state without any questions being asked.

In response to the drop-off, more than 50 families have come forward offering to adopt the newborn and provide the baby a permanent home and family.

"This is exactly the way the drop-off law is supposed to work," stated Scott Fischbach, Executive Director of Minnesota Citizens Concerned for Life (MCCL). "We applaud this mother for her courage in making this life-giving decision for her child."

In stark contrast, the Ottertail Co. drop-off comes within a week of the sentencing of Nicole Beecroft to life in prison without parole for her baby's death after being found guilty of stabbing her newborn 135 times.

"The Safe Haven baby drop-off law was passed to give parents one more option to allow their baby an opportunity to live," Fischbach stated. "No newborn child should ever be killed in our state."
While Beecroft is serving a life sentence in prison, the Ottertail Co. newborn baby boy will most likely be adopted and in a new home by Christmas.

For more information about MCCL, visit www.mccl.org. 

Part One