Minnesota Bill Would Prohibit Tax Money From Funding Abortion Industry

State   |   Steven Ertelt   |   Apr 5, 2004   |   9:00AM   |   WASHINGTON, DC

Minnesota Bill Would Prohibit Tax Money From Funding Abortion Industry

by Paul Nowak
LifeNews.com Staff Writer
April 5, 2004

St. Paul, MN (LifeNews.com) — A bill that would prevent taxpayers in Minnesota from funding abortion businesses has passed the state House Friday.

The Taxpayer Protection Act, HF 436, part of the Health and Human Services omnibus bill, HF 1681, passed by a vote of 83-46. If passed, the pro-life legislation, sponsored by Rep. Mary Liz Holberg (D-Lakeville) and Sen. Tom Neuville (R-Northfield), would deem any organization that participates in the abortion business ineligible for family planning grant funds.

"Minnesota Citizens Concerned for Life applauds the Minnesota House for approving this mainstream legislation," said Marice Rosenberg, vice president of Minnesota Citizens Concerned for Life. "Most Minnesotans don’t believe in abortion on demand throughout all nine months of pregnancy, and they don’t want their tax dollars funding the abortion industry."

"When the state takes taxes out of your paycheck and when you pay sales tax on things you buy, you are paying for abortions," said Senator Paul Koering (R-Fort Ripley), one of the authors of the bill. "I don’t believe the state has any business spending your money to sponsor and subsidize an industry that so many of us are deeply opposed to on moral and religious grounds."

"Taxpayers need protection from having to advance the extreme abortion agenda of Planned Parenthood," added Rosenberg. "The vast majority of Minnesotans want to stop their tax dollars from subsidizing an industry that causes harm to nearly 15,000 women and unborn children per year."

Planned Parenthood of Minnesota/South Dakota opposes HF 436, claiming that the bill would cut as much as $5 million to its organization and 47 others that promote and perform abortion throughout Minnesota. They and other opponents of the legislation refer to it as the "Super Gag Rule."

According to MCCL, in 2000 Planned Parenthood of Minnesota/South Dakota received almost $4 million from government sources. A non-profit organization, Planned Parenthood ended 2001 with $19.6 million in assets.

"The government doesn’t give money to tobacco companies to decrease smoking or to alcohol manufacturers to stop underage drinking," reads an MCCL fact sheet on the legislation. "Neither should the state give your money to the abortion industry to prevent abortion."

Six states (Colorado, Michigan, Missouri, Ohio, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin) have passed similar laws.

"Many businesses, including Target Corp. and American Express, have already stopped funding Planned Parenthood and other abortion organizations," said Scott Fischbach, Executive Director of MCCL. "Isn’t it time for our state to stop funding the wealthy abortion industry?"

In another vote dealing with life issues, the House voted 28-97 against a measure that would change the state’s 1973 law prohibiting embryonic stem-cell research.

Related web sites:
Minnesota Citizens Concerned for Life – https://www.mccl.org