A judge in Ramsey County is considering whether to allow a challenge to proceed against Minnesota’s 24-hour abortion waiting period and parental notification laws, following a court hearing Wednesday afternoon. The Reverend Kelli Clement with First Unitarian Society of Minneapolis says, “We believe that this set of restrictions, these mandates, are in fact laws that provide undue influence on people making the decision whether or not to continue a pregnancy.”
Meanwhile pro-life groups say Democratic Attorney General Keith Ellison is only half-heartedly defending the state’s abortion laws. Republican Representative Steve Drazkowksi from Mazeppa says, “Attorney General Ellison, we see you. Your transparently political motivations are shining brightly through.” A spokesman for Ellison responds the attorney general’s office made what in their judgment are the most persuasive arguments to the court.