MINNEAPOLIS 鈥� A lawsuit brought by several pregnancy centers and individual mothers against Minnesota鈥檚 abortion laws received its first hearing on Friday, July 11, at the U.S. Courthouse in downtown Minneapolis.
The plaintiffs, which include the Women鈥檚 Life Care Center and the National Institute of Family and Life Advocates, argued that Minnesota鈥檚 take away parental rights and violate the 14th Amendment during 鈥渋nvoluntary鈥� and "unwanted" abortions. Defendants, including Attorney General Keith Ellison, Gov. Tim Walz and Planned Parenthood, argued the state does not mandate a course of action by private citizens considering abortion.
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鈥淭his is not a case where the state mandates or encourages certain actions,鈥� Illyana Green, arguing on behalf of Red River Women鈥檚 Clinic, said. Green said that the suit is 鈥淔alsely equating abortion to terminating parental rights.鈥�
After the hearing Friday, attorney for the plaintiffs Harold Cassidy said the defendant's argument that to receive an abortion is ultimately a private decision and not the state鈥檚 is 鈥渘onsense.鈥�
鈥淭he state created the law that delegates it to 鈥� the abortion businesses,鈥� Cassidy said. 鈥淎lthough they're obligated to provide protections of a mother's rights, to ensure it's voluntary, to ensure that it's informed, they don't 鈥� not only that but 鈥� they're the private actors 鈥� Planned Parenthood as an example, they're operating under the authority and power given to them specifically by the law, and they're aided by state officials.鈥�
Defendants asked the judge to dismiss the complaint in its entirety on Friday. Brasel did not make a decision on Friday, and there is no clear timeline for a decision.
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