ST. PAUL, Minn. (KTTC) – The Supreme Court ended constitutional protections for abortion Friday morning, which had been in place nearly 50 years in a decision by its conservative majority to overturn Roe v. Wade.
Leaders of Minnesota and Iowa have started to release statements regarding the decision.
Minnesota Governor Walz released the following statement:
“Moments ago, the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade.
This Supreme Court’s decision is a blatant violation of Minnesotans’ right to make their own reproductive health decisions.
But let me say it again: There will never be a ban on abortion in Minnesota under my watch.
I know you’re angry. I’m angry too. But right now we need to do everything in our power to not go backwards.
Minnesota is a leader in reproductive rights in our region and across the entire country. I will not allow Donald Trump’s 6-3 conservative majority on the Supreme Court to set our state back 50 years to a time where abortion rights weren’t protected.
Every Minnesotan - not anti-abortion politicians or Donald Trump’s Supreme Court - should be able to decide for themselves whether or when they start a family.
But to secure reproductive freedom, we need to win in November. Our Republican opponents have pledged to ban abortion entirely if they win, making the governor’s office the last line of defense against an abortion ban in Minnesota.”
Gov. Walz also released the following tweet on Twitter:
Iowa Governor Kim Reynolds released the following statement:
“The Supreme Court’s greatest moments have come when it allows America to embody more perfectly the enduring truth on which it was founded: that all human beings, without exception, are created equal. By that measure, today’s historic decision is clearly one such moment. But the fight for life is not over. As Governor, I won’t rest until every unborn Iowan is protected and respected.”
Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan released the following statement:
“This disastrous ruling leaves Minnesotans with a clear choice. As long as we are in the governor’s office, Gov. Walz and I will not put anti-choice judges on the state Supreme Court and we will block any anti-choice legislation. The Republican ticket has promised to pass one of the most extreme abortion bans in the nation – we cannot let that happen. We ask Minnesotans to come together to protect our reproductive rights from a dangerous anti-choice agenda.”
Senate Majority Leader Jeremy Miller released the following statement:
“Today is a victory for every unborn child, affirming their life has value and is worth protecting. Senate Republicans are committed to working together to find consensus on protections for babies, and support for moms and families who choose life.”
Republican Party of Minnesota Chairman David Hann released the following statement:
“This is a tremendous victory for the U.S. Constitution, the rule of law, and the sanctity of life. It was widely accepted that Roe v. Wade was deeply flawed on constitutional grounds. As Republicans, our party has always stood for human rights, including those of the unborn. With today’s rulings, The Supreme Court returned to the states and the people their rightful authority to govern themselves and protect the unborn.”
Representative Angie Craig released the following statement:
“Today’s ruling is a calamitous decision that upends decades of precedent and rolls back fundamental rights for millions of Americans. And it is just the beginning of government overreach into the private, personal decisions of American families. The federal government has no place interfering in the decisions between a woman and her doctor, criminalizing abortion or enacting arbitrary laws that undermine women’s reproductive freedoms. Our state’s abortion laws are sensible and widely supported by the vast majority of Minnesotans – and I am fiercely opposed to any efforts to roll them back in accordance with this ruling.”
U.S. Senator Tina Smith released the following statement:
“This is a terrible day for America. Roe v. Wade has been overturned.
For almost 50 years, American women have had the freedom and constitutional right to make their own decisions about abortion. This right respected individual autonomy and the capacity of people to make good, moral decisions about abortion. This activist Supreme Court—and the Republican Senators and President who put them there—have gutted that right, because they think they know better than American women, whose lives and stories they will never know. How dare they?
The Republicans who brought us to this point are dramatically outside the mainstream of American views, and they need to explain why they believe they should have this power over women. In the meantime, I won’t stop until safe, reliable access to abortion care is again a guaranteed right.”
Iowa Democratic Party Chair Ross Wilburn released the following statement:
“It is a dark day for freedom in our nation as we reckon with the consequences of a 50-years-long vendetta against the freedoms protected by Roe v. Wade.”
“Iowa Democrats will continue to fight for every Iowan’s right to decide for themselves if, when, and with whom they want to have a family. And this decision has only strengthened our resolve to see these personal freedoms restored.”
“The majority of Iowans and Americans believe that abortion should be legal. Democrats in the U.S. House have voted multiple times to write the protections of Roe into law, but Republicans in the Senate block it every time.”
“We must elect Iowa Democrats at every level of government in order to protect abortion rights. Kim Reynolds and Iowa Republicans will do everything in their power to outlaw abortion in our state.”
“This fight is not over – and I’m proud to stand alongside the Iowans organizing for a future where our personal freedoms are protected.”
Republican Party of Iowa Chairman Jeff Kaufmann released the following statement:
“This victory at the Supreme Court is indicative of the long hard fight to protect the unborn. Roe was wrongfully decided from the start. States should have always had the power to make laws that protected innocent life.
"The Republican Party of Iowa stands committed to defending the most important freedom we have, the Right to Life. While this decision is a huge victory, the fight to protect the unborn must continue on. For the coming months, Democrats will be relentless in trying to intimidate judges and politicians. We must stand strong."
DFL Party Chairman Ken Martin released the following statement:
“This Supreme Court’s ruling is a travesty of justice that will inflict tremendous suffering on countless people across America. With federal abortion protection gone, we know that Republicans are going to redouble their efforts to ban abortion in Minnesota, as Scott Jensen, Doug Wardlow, and Jim Schultz have promised.”
“The Minnesota DFL Party and our leaders will do everything in our power to defend access to abortion. Voters who don’t want to see anyone jailed for seeking reproductive health care must show up and vote like our health depends on it, because it does. Republicans will use the same playbook they used nationally to erode protections for abortion here in Minnesota, and the only way to stop that is by defeating them at the ballot box.”
Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) released the following statement:
“Today’s decision recognized that the weak legal reasoning in Roe v. Wade has done more to provoke conflict than to resolve it, as the late Justice Ginsburg observed. In a meticulous and well-reasoned opinion, the court dispensed with a flawed precedent, as it has rightly done in landmark decisions throughout history. “For many Americans, including myself, this decision is about far more than correcting a flawed legal analysis in Roe; it means that the rights of the unborn are no longer in jeopardy by our federal government. Our nation was founded on the fundamental principle we are endowed by our creator with the unalienable right to life – a right that must be protected. “This ruling does not ban the practice of abortion but instead empowers the people, through their accountable elected representatives to make commonsense policy decisions. It takes policymaking out of the hands of unelected judges. “Regardless of your views on this issue, or any other issue for that matter, we all should respect the role of our impartial judiciary and the decisions that it renders. We’re blessed to live in a country where the people play a leading role in how we are governed. The people can advocate for policy priorities in the public square, the halls of Congress and at the ballot box, as so many pro-life Americans have done throughout the past five decades. Seeking to intimidate or attack the court or undermine its credibility because of an outcome that you don’t support is not the answer.”
U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar released the following tweet on Twitter:
U.S. Senator Joni Ernst (R-Iowa) released the following statement:
“I’m proudly and adamantly pro-life. This decision reflects the science, will save lives, and rightly returns policymaking power back to the American people and their elected officials.”
House Minority Leader Kurt Daudt, R-Crown released the following statement:
“Today life prevailed with a decision that will save countless unborn lives. While there is no immediate impact here in Minnesota, this is an important step toward building a nation that values and recognizes life as a gift that should be protected.
The United States has long been an extreme outlier on abortion on par with countries like North Korea and China who allow abortion up until the moment of birth. 90% of European countries have similar restrictions to those passed in Mississippi that were in question in the Dobbs case. It’s long overdue that we join the rest of the civilized world in providing protections for unborn babies with heartbeats and who can feel pain.
I am so grateful to the millions of pro-life Americans who have raised their voices, marched, voted, and prayed for this historic day.”
Rep. Tina Liebling (DFL – Rochester) released the following statement:
“I am appalled the Republican-appointed Supreme Court majority has overturned almost 50 years of precedent to strip Americans of our right to decide if and when to have children. This turning back of the clock tells women that the right-wing majority on the Court does not view us as full humans who can best decide how to manage our bodies and our lives. Instead, it leaves those decisions to state legislatures. This decision also signals that the right to contraception and the right to marry could be on the chopping block next. With the U.S. Supreme Court no longer protecting personal privacy, the Legislature is even more critical to protecting those rights for Minnesotans. I’m committed to protecting the right to reproductive freedom and privacy, and it’s critically important for Minnesotans who share this value to make their voices heard.”
State Representative Tim Miller (R-Prinsburg) released the following statement:
“At long last, Roe v. Wade has been struck down. In their landmark 6-3 decision, our nation’s highest court has cemented a major victory for unborn children, for mothers, and for the sanctity of life. This is a great day for America, and I am personally so encouraged by this outcome.
Because of the Supreme Court’s ruling, millions of children will be saved. In many ways, this decision affirms what we have known to be true all along: every life is eternally precious, every child in the womb must be protected, and man’s desire to mutilate God’s natural order must be stopped.
There is no doubt that this is a watershed moment for our country. After decades of fighting to protect the unborn, our pro-life movement has achieved a victory some thought impossible. The tireless work of many generations made this day a reality, but the work doesn’t stop here.
As the pro-life battle transitions to our federal legislature and state legislatures across the country, we need to continue defending the sanctity of life. If we are to eliminate abortion once and for all, then we must press on with resolve, determination, and faith.”
More statements will be added as they are released.
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