by Stephen Kokx
A Minnesota-based advocacy group called Mothers Offering Maternal Support (MOMS) has taken action to restore common-sense abortion restrictions for young girls and women, against the wishes of Attorney General Keith Ellison.
The group, which has close to 50 members, filed a new motion on Monday, Nov. 14 in its effort to oppose a ruling made by Ramsey County Judge Thomas Gilligan on July 11.
“Abortion providers now may legally provide secret abortions to minors without providing any notice to parents, and they no longer need share statutorily required information with the minors themselves before allowing non-physicians to perform abortions at any gestational age of the pregnancy,” MOMS said in a memo in support of its motion to intervene.
Gilligan had decreed that, among other things, the state’s 24-hour waiting period for an abortion was unconstitutional, and that minors didn’t need to inform their parents they were seeking an abortion.
The ruling stemmed from a lawsuit filed by abortion activists against the state of Minnesota. The attorney general is responsible for defending state law regardless of his personal opinions.
Ellison announced in July that his office would not be appealing the decision, saying an appeal would be unlikely to succeed and thus would be an ineffective use of taxpayer dollars.
But on Oct. 12, his office filed a motion objecting to MOMS’ attempt to intervene in the case, meaning his office will be using taxpayer dollars to oppose their efforts to protect the unborn, according to MOMS.
Teresa Collett, an attorney representing MOMS who teaches law at the University of St. Thomas’ Minneapolis campus, previously called Ellison’s decision to not appeal the ruling a “dereliction of his duty to protect the health and safety of women and young girls.”
She believes Ellison failed to present evidence challenging the claims of the plaintiffs.
“Judge Gilligan’s opinion referenced unrebutted evidence multiple times establishing that the defense was unfamiliar with evidence from nationally recognized experts regarding the value and efficacy of laws requiring parental involvement, informed consent, reflection periods, and physician performance of abortion, suggesting a lack of experience and competence in defending these long-standing laws that were passed with bi-partisan support,” she explained in a statement this week.
MOMS representative Jessica Chastek said it was “shocking” that “the state would refuse to protect bipartisan laws that safeguard women and children from the abortion industry.”
“The mothers in this group share significant concerns about the far-reaching repercussions that this case will have on Minnesota women, as well as young girls and their parents,” she said. “All this time the two-parent notification law hangs in the balance — a law which simply ensures that parents have an opportunity to be engaged and available for our daughters at a time when they need maternal support the most.”
A court hearing is scheduled for Jan. 5.
“The Attorney General’s brief in opposition to this group’s attempt to intervene in the case is due on Dec. 22. That brief will constitute our reply,” a spokesperson told Alpha News.
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Stephen Kokx, M.A., is a journalist for LifeSiteNews. He previously worked for the Archdiocese of Chicago under the late Francis Cardinal George. A former community college instructor, Stephen has written and spoken extensively about Catholic social teaching and politics. His essays have appeared in such outlets as Catholic Family News and CatholicVote.org.
Photo “Keith Ellison” by U.S. House Office of Photography. Background Photo “Pregnant Woman” by Matilda Wormwood.
