STAR TRIBUNE
By PETE YOST , Associated Press
WASHINGTON - In a major policy reversal, the Obama administration said Wednesday it will no longer defend the constitutionality of a federal law banning recognition of same-sex marriage.
Attorney General Eric Holder said President Barack Obama has concluded that the administration cannot defend the federal law that defines marriage as only between a man and a woman. He noted that the congressional debate during passage of the Defense of Marriage Act "contains numerous expressions reflecting moral disapproval of gays and lesbians and their intimate and family relationships — precisely the kind of stereotype-based thinking and animus" the Constitution is designed to guard against. The Justice Department had defended the act in court until now.
The move quickly drew praise from some Democrats in Congress but a sharp response from the spokesman for Republican John Boehner, the House Speaker."While Americans want Washington to focus on creating jobs and cutting spending, the president will have to explain why he thinks now is the appropriate time to stir up a controversial issue that sharply divides the nation," said Boehner's spokesman Michael Steel.
Gay groups, which had long pressured the administration to take a step like this, were pleased. Ron Carey, executive director of the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force, called the policy change "a tremendous step toward recognizing our common humanity and ending an egregious injustice against thousands of loving, committed couples who simply want the protections, rights and responsibilities afforded other married couples. We thank the Obama administration."
Obama's move may position him politically at the forefront of rising public support for gay marriage. Polling results can vary rather significantly depending on what words are used to describe gay marriage, but there is a gradual trend in public opinion toward more acceptance of gay marriage.
An Associated Press-National Constitution Center Poll conducted last August found 52 percent of Americans saying the federal government should give legal recognition to marriages between couples of the same sex, while 46 percent said it should not. In polling by ABC News and the Washington Post, support for the legalization of gay marriage has climbed from 37 percent in 2003 to 47 percent in February 2010.
Holder's statement said, "Much of the legal landscape has changed in the 15 years since Congress passed" the Defense of Marriage Act. He noted that the Supreme Court has ruled that laws criminalizing homosexual conduct are unconstitutional and that Congress has repealed the military's "don't ask, don't tell" policy.
At the White House, spokesman Jay Carney said Obama himself is still "grappling" with his personal view of gay marriage but has always personally opposed the Defense of Marriage Act as "unnecessary and unfair."
At a December news conference, in response to a reporters' question, Obama revealed that his position on gay marriage is "constantly evolving." He has opposed such marriages and supported instead civil unions for gay and lesbian couples. The president said such civil unions are his baseline — at this point, as he put it."This is something that we're going to continue to debate, and I personally am going to continue to wrestle with going forward," he said.
On Wednesday, Holder said the president has concluded that, given a documented history of discrimination against gays, classifications based on sexual orientation should be subject to a more heightened standard of scrutiny than the department had been applying in legal challenges to the act up to now.
Thursday, February 24, 2011
Wednesday, February 23, 2011
Texas ready to let students pack guns
STAR TRIBUNE
By JIM VERTUNO, Associated Press
AUSTIN, TEXAS - Texas is preparing to give college students and professors the right to carry guns on campus, adding momentum to a national campaign to open this part of society to firearms.
More than half the members of the Texas House have signed on as co-authors of a measure directing universities to allow concealed handguns. The Senate passed a similar bill in 2009 and is expected to do so again. Republican Gov. Rick Perry, who sometimes packs a pistol when he jogs, has said he's in favor of the idea.
Texas has become a prime battleground for the issue because of its gun culture and its size, with 38 public universities and more than 500,000 students. It would become the second state, following Utah, to pass such a broad-based law. Colorado gives colleges the option, and several have allowed handguns.
Supporters of the legislation argue that gun violence on campuses, such as the mass shootings at Virginia Tech in 2007 and Northern Illinois in 2008, shows that the best defense against a gunman is students who can shoot back.
"It's strictly a matter of self-defense," said state Sen. Jeff Wentworth, R-San Antonio. "I don't ever want to see repeated on a Texas college campus what happened at Virginia Tech, where some deranged, suicidal madman goes into a building and is able to pick off totally defenseless kids like sitting ducks."
Similar firearms measures have been proposed in about a dozen other states, but all face strong opposition, especially from college leaders. In Oklahoma, all 25 public college and university presidents declared their opposition to a concealed carry proposal.
"There is no scenario where allowing concealed weapons on college campuses will do anything other than create a more dangerous environment for students, faculty, staff and visitors," Oklahoma Chancellor of Higher Education Glen Johnson said in January.
University of Texas President William Powers has opposed concealed handguns on campus, saying the mix of students, guns and campus parties is too volatile.
Guns occupy a special place in Texas culture. Politicians often tout owning a gun as essential to being Texan. Concealed handgun license holders are allowed to skip the metal detectors that scan Capitol visitors for guns, knives and other contraband.
"Things do look bleak," said Colin Goddard, assistant director of federal legislation for the Brady Campaign Against Gun Violence, who was in Austin recently to lobby against the Texas bills. Goddard was a student at Virginia Tech and was shot four times in his French class.
Student Seung-Hui Cho killed 32 people, including 10 in Goddard's classroom, before shooting himself. Goddard dismisses the idea that another student with a gun could have stopped the killer.
"People tell me that if they would have been there, they would have shot that guy. That offends me," Goddard said. "People want to be the hero, I understand that. They play video games and they think they understand the reality. It's nothing like that."
By JIM VERTUNO, Associated Press
AUSTIN, TEXAS - Texas is preparing to give college students and professors the right to carry guns on campus, adding momentum to a national campaign to open this part of society to firearms.
More than half the members of the Texas House have signed on as co-authors of a measure directing universities to allow concealed handguns. The Senate passed a similar bill in 2009 and is expected to do so again. Republican Gov. Rick Perry, who sometimes packs a pistol when he jogs, has said he's in favor of the idea.
Texas has become a prime battleground for the issue because of its gun culture and its size, with 38 public universities and more than 500,000 students. It would become the second state, following Utah, to pass such a broad-based law. Colorado gives colleges the option, and several have allowed handguns.
Supporters of the legislation argue that gun violence on campuses, such as the mass shootings at Virginia Tech in 2007 and Northern Illinois in 2008, shows that the best defense against a gunman is students who can shoot back.
"It's strictly a matter of self-defense," said state Sen. Jeff Wentworth, R-San Antonio. "I don't ever want to see repeated on a Texas college campus what happened at Virginia Tech, where some deranged, suicidal madman goes into a building and is able to pick off totally defenseless kids like sitting ducks."
Similar firearms measures have been proposed in about a dozen other states, but all face strong opposition, especially from college leaders. In Oklahoma, all 25 public college and university presidents declared their opposition to a concealed carry proposal.
"There is no scenario where allowing concealed weapons on college campuses will do anything other than create a more dangerous environment for students, faculty, staff and visitors," Oklahoma Chancellor of Higher Education Glen Johnson said in January.
University of Texas President William Powers has opposed concealed handguns on campus, saying the mix of students, guns and campus parties is too volatile.
Guns occupy a special place in Texas culture. Politicians often tout owning a gun as essential to being Texan. Concealed handgun license holders are allowed to skip the metal detectors that scan Capitol visitors for guns, knives and other contraband.
"Things do look bleak," said Colin Goddard, assistant director of federal legislation for the Brady Campaign Against Gun Violence, who was in Austin recently to lobby against the Texas bills. Goddard was a student at Virginia Tech and was shot four times in his French class.
Student Seung-Hui Cho killed 32 people, including 10 in Goddard's classroom, before shooting himself. Goddard dismisses the idea that another student with a gun could have stopped the killer.
"People tell me that if they would have been there, they would have shot that guy. That offends me," Goddard said. "People want to be the hero, I understand that. They play video games and they think they understand the reality. It's nothing like that."
Tuesday, February 22, 2011
Teachers vs. Tea Party, Governor in Wisconsin
STAR/TRIBUNE
By TODD RICHMOND and DINESH RAMDE , Associated Press
Last update: February 19, 2011 - 1:28 PM
MADISON, Wis. - A state Capitol thrown into chaos swelled for a fifth day with thousands of protesters, as supporters of Republican efforts to scrap the union rights of state workers added their voices to the debate for the first time and GOP leaders insisted again Saturday there was no room for compromise.
Supporters of Gov. Scott Walker and his effort to ease Wisconsin's budget woes by cutting many government workers' pay, benefits and bargaining rights gathered on the east side of the Capitol, surrounded by a much larger group of pro-labor demonstrators who since Tuesday have filled the Capitol with chanting, drum-beats and anti-Walker slogans.
Saturday's line-up in Madison included a rally organized by Tea Party Patriots, the movement's largest umbrella group, and Americans for Prosperity. Their supporters carried signs with a fresh set of messages: "Your Gravy Train Is Over . . . Welcome to the Recession" and "Sorry, we're late Scott. We work for a living." "We did have an election and Scott Walker won," said Deborah Arndt, 53, of Sheboygan Falls. "I think our governor will stand strong. I have faith in him."
Arndt and the other conservative backers of Walker had their faith rewarded shortly before the start of the noon rally, when Senate Majority Leader Scott Fitzgerald reaffirmed that Republicans — who took control of both the state Senate and Assembly in November — have the votes needed pass the measure. "The bill is not negotiable," Fitzgerald said inside a heavily guarded Senate parlor at the Capitol. "The bill will pass as is."
Fitzgerald said the Senate is ready to act on the so-called "budget repair" bill just as up as soon as 14 Senate Democrats who fled the state on Thursday and remain in hiding return to the Statehouse. The missing Democrats have threatened to stay away for weeks unless Walker agrees to negotiate.
Democrats offered again Saturday to agree to the parts of Walker's proposal that would double workers' health insurance contributions and require them to contribute 5.8 percent of their salary to their pensions, so long as workers retained their rights to negotiate with the state as a union.
Fitzgerald said he was unimpressed given that the offer was something the GOP has rejected for months. The restrictions on collective bargaining rights are needed so that local governments and the state will have the flexibility needed to balance budgets after cuts Walker plans to announce next month, he said. Walker insists the concessions he is seeking from public workers are needed to deal with the state's projected $3.6 billion budget shortfall and to avoid layoffs.
Dane County Sheriff Dave Mahoney predicted crowds could swell to as many as 70,000 people Saturday.
Pro-labor activists worried about a confrontation with tea party members trained overnight Saturday at the Capitol in non-violent protest techniques, said Madison resident and protester Chris Terrell said. Groups were taught to remain calm during confrontations and to pay attention to their posture and expression so their intent couldn't be misconstrued as violent, he said.
John Black, 46, of Madison, said Saturday he came out to the rallies in order to help bridge the gap between the pro-labor protester and tea party members. He carried signs that asked for a compromise on the budget bill while a friend's son handed out purple flowers. "We liked Scott Walker as a change agent, but he moved too quickly and because of that there's always room for compromise," Black said.
By TODD RICHMOND and DINESH RAMDE , Associated Press
Last update: February 19, 2011 - 1:28 PM
MADISON, Wis. - A state Capitol thrown into chaos swelled for a fifth day with thousands of protesters, as supporters of Republican efforts to scrap the union rights of state workers added their voices to the debate for the first time and GOP leaders insisted again Saturday there was no room for compromise.
Supporters of Gov. Scott Walker and his effort to ease Wisconsin's budget woes by cutting many government workers' pay, benefits and bargaining rights gathered on the east side of the Capitol, surrounded by a much larger group of pro-labor demonstrators who since Tuesday have filled the Capitol with chanting, drum-beats and anti-Walker slogans.
Saturday's line-up in Madison included a rally organized by Tea Party Patriots, the movement's largest umbrella group, and Americans for Prosperity. Their supporters carried signs with a fresh set of messages: "Your Gravy Train Is Over . . . Welcome to the Recession" and "Sorry, we're late Scott. We work for a living." "We did have an election and Scott Walker won," said Deborah Arndt, 53, of Sheboygan Falls. "I think our governor will stand strong. I have faith in him."
Arndt and the other conservative backers of Walker had their faith rewarded shortly before the start of the noon rally, when Senate Majority Leader Scott Fitzgerald reaffirmed that Republicans — who took control of both the state Senate and Assembly in November — have the votes needed pass the measure. "The bill is not negotiable," Fitzgerald said inside a heavily guarded Senate parlor at the Capitol. "The bill will pass as is."
Fitzgerald said the Senate is ready to act on the so-called "budget repair" bill just as up as soon as 14 Senate Democrats who fled the state on Thursday and remain in hiding return to the Statehouse. The missing Democrats have threatened to stay away for weeks unless Walker agrees to negotiate.
Democrats offered again Saturday to agree to the parts of Walker's proposal that would double workers' health insurance contributions and require them to contribute 5.8 percent of their salary to their pensions, so long as workers retained their rights to negotiate with the state as a union.
Fitzgerald said he was unimpressed given that the offer was something the GOP has rejected for months. The restrictions on collective bargaining rights are needed so that local governments and the state will have the flexibility needed to balance budgets after cuts Walker plans to announce next month, he said. Walker insists the concessions he is seeking from public workers are needed to deal with the state's projected $3.6 billion budget shortfall and to avoid layoffs.
Dane County Sheriff Dave Mahoney predicted crowds could swell to as many as 70,000 people Saturday.
Pro-labor activists worried about a confrontation with tea party members trained overnight Saturday at the Capitol in non-violent protest techniques, said Madison resident and protester Chris Terrell said. Groups were taught to remain calm during confrontations and to pay attention to their posture and expression so their intent couldn't be misconstrued as violent, he said.
John Black, 46, of Madison, said Saturday he came out to the rallies in order to help bridge the gap between the pro-labor protester and tea party members. He carried signs that asked for a compromise on the budget bill while a friend's son handed out purple flowers. "We liked Scott Walker as a change agent, but he moved too quickly and because of that there's always room for compromise," Black said.
Monday, February 14, 2011
More women into guns
STAR TRIBUNE
Erin Belfry celebrated her 28th birthday with a couple of shots. A couple dozen shots, actually -- from a .22 pistol, a .357 revolver and a 9mm semiautomatic.
As a present, her mom, Mary Belfry, had taken the two of them to a "Girls With Guns" women-only firearm training class held recently at Bill's Gun Shop in Robbinsdale, culminating in some practice rounds at the attached shooting range.
"I didn't grow up in a house with guns," said Erin, barely audible amid the high-decibel bangs of other firearm newbies blasting away at their paper targets. "But after some friends took me here to shoot, I was talking about how fun it was and my mom wanted to try it, too."
While women are nowhere close to catching up with the number of male gun enthusiasts in the United States, more are showing an interest in guns, some for target-shooting sport, some for safety. And gun sellers and shooting instructors are finding creative ways to draw them in, such as Old West themes or couples dating nights at the range.
After the mass shooting in Tucson, calls for more gun control increased nationwide, but so did gun sales. This kind of mixed response is typical after any such incident, including the Columbine and Virginia Tech massacres. Tucson was on the minds of some of the women in the class.
'You think about what happened in a parking lot, and you want to protect yourself," said Karin Pflug, a sales rep from Minnetonka.
At Bill's, overall sales for 2010 were up only 5 percent from the previous year. But sales to women were up 30 percent, said Chelaine Palmgren, a store manager who has tried to draw more women to the store. For example, every other Wednesday at Bill's is ladies' night on the range.
Instructor Theresa Reiter, who also leads courses for the National Rifle Association (NRA) and the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources, estimates the number of women she's taught in the past year rose by 50 percent, with "well over 200" in beginners' courses. Most seem interested in safety in the home, she said: "A lot of them are mothers who want to defend their kids."
Heather Martens of Citizens for a Safer Minnesota, which advocates for stricter gun control laws, said that buying a handgun as a way to be safer is buying a false sense of security. "The person most likely to harm a woman is her intimate partner and data shows the presence of a gun raises the risk of a bad outcome," she said, citing several examples of domestic violence that ended in firearm deaths.
Erin Belfry celebrated her 28th birthday with a couple of shots. A couple dozen shots, actually -- from a .22 pistol, a .357 revolver and a 9mm semiautomatic.
As a present, her mom, Mary Belfry, had taken the two of them to a "Girls With Guns" women-only firearm training class held recently at Bill's Gun Shop in Robbinsdale, culminating in some practice rounds at the attached shooting range.
"I didn't grow up in a house with guns," said Erin, barely audible amid the high-decibel bangs of other firearm newbies blasting away at their paper targets. "But after some friends took me here to shoot, I was talking about how fun it was and my mom wanted to try it, too."
While women are nowhere close to catching up with the number of male gun enthusiasts in the United States, more are showing an interest in guns, some for target-shooting sport, some for safety. And gun sellers and shooting instructors are finding creative ways to draw them in, such as Old West themes or couples dating nights at the range.
After the mass shooting in Tucson, calls for more gun control increased nationwide, but so did gun sales. This kind of mixed response is typical after any such incident, including the Columbine and Virginia Tech massacres. Tucson was on the minds of some of the women in the class.
'You think about what happened in a parking lot, and you want to protect yourself," said Karin Pflug, a sales rep from Minnetonka.
At Bill's, overall sales for 2010 were up only 5 percent from the previous year. But sales to women were up 30 percent, said Chelaine Palmgren, a store manager who has tried to draw more women to the store. For example, every other Wednesday at Bill's is ladies' night on the range.
Instructor Theresa Reiter, who also leads courses for the National Rifle Association (NRA) and the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources, estimates the number of women she's taught in the past year rose by 50 percent, with "well over 200" in beginners' courses. Most seem interested in safety in the home, she said: "A lot of them are mothers who want to defend their kids."
Heather Martens of Citizens for a Safer Minnesota, which advocates for stricter gun control laws, said that buying a handgun as a way to be safer is buying a false sense of security. "The person most likely to harm a woman is her intimate partner and data shows the presence of a gun raises the risk of a bad outcome," she said, citing several examples of domestic violence that ended in firearm deaths.
Monday, February 7, 2011
State may loosen grip on sex offenders
STAR TRIBUNE
By PAUL McENROE, Star Tribune
In a rare step, state officials have recommended supervised release for two violent sex offenders who are under indefinite commitment at a state treatment center in St. Peter, according to documents and authorities familiar with the cases.
The recommendations -- the first of their kind in nearly 15 years -- reflect an emerging shift in thinking among officials in charge of Minnesota's controversial sex offender program. Created in 1994, it allows the state to hold offenders indefinitely -- for years, even decades -- at highly secure facilities in Moose Lake and St. Peter.
Officials familiar with the cases contend that the state must find a new balance between ensuring public safety and acknowledging the rights of offenders who have submitted to long detention and completed therapy. The shift, which emerged from closed sessions last year, occurs against a backdrop of explosive growth in the program's population and costs. The state's offender population has tripled since 2003 -- to 605 people last year -- making Minnesota first per capita among states in confining sex offenders and third overall in offender population, behind California and Florida.
But officials, clinicians and legal experts say their main concern is that the program might not withstand new court challenges over the constitutionality of holding offenders for years without the prospect of release.
Nonetheless, the prospective release of John Rydberg, 68, and Thomas Duvall, 55, is sure to reignite debate over public safety and the effectiveness of therapy for violent, chronic sex offenders.
Rydberg and Duvall have extremely violent backgrounds, with dozens of sexual offenses that include rape by knifepoint, and they are considered high risks for sexual recidivism, according to state documents. Each has previously failed sexual treatment programs, records show, and both have been diagnosed as psychopathic personalities. If released, they would be subject to covert surveillance, lie detector tests and GPS tracking via electronic ankle bracelets.
In two closed sessions last year, a special review board of mental health experts appointed by the Department of Human Services concluded that Rydberg and Duvall had progressed well enough after years of treatment to be provisionally discharged into strictly supervised halfway houses in the Twin Cities, according to sources and documents. The board consists of an attorney, a psychiatrist and a social worker or psychologist.
Their recommendation must be reviewed by a three-judge appeals panel appointed by the state Supreme Court. The judges will hear Rydberg's case in March and Duvall's in April.
The professionals' recommendation seems to chart a new direction in state policy and offers fresh hope to offenders who have clinically progressed to a point where they are judged to be of manageable public risk.
In 2003, Gov. Tim Pawlenty issued an executive order stripping the Human Services commissioner of authority over such releases. That shifted responsibility for the difficult decisions to the judicial branch of government, but it left many offenders feeling that they had to overcome nearly impossible obstacles to release.
Pawlenty issued the order after the Star Tribune reported that state officials were seeking ways to allow some offenders -- deemed less dangerous after treatment -- to live in community halfway houses. Rydberg and Duvall have sued the state in years past, arguing for release because they completed their treatment programs in a secured facility.
Attorneys representing offenders have argued that Pawlenty's order violated state law and interfered with the expertise of treatment specialists who rely on clearly delineated psychological and medical evaluations.
"It's clear this recommendation reflects a different policy,'' said Eric Janus, president of the William Mitchell College of Law in St. Paul and an expert on the legal issues surrounding sex offender release. "The legitimacy of the program depends on a bona fide system for determining when individuals can be returned to the community with appropriate safeguards. A system that never returns anybody into the community is unconstitutional.''
By PAUL McENROE, Star Tribune
In a rare step, state officials have recommended supervised release for two violent sex offenders who are under indefinite commitment at a state treatment center in St. Peter, according to documents and authorities familiar with the cases.
The recommendations -- the first of their kind in nearly 15 years -- reflect an emerging shift in thinking among officials in charge of Minnesota's controversial sex offender program. Created in 1994, it allows the state to hold offenders indefinitely -- for years, even decades -- at highly secure facilities in Moose Lake and St. Peter.
Officials familiar with the cases contend that the state must find a new balance between ensuring public safety and acknowledging the rights of offenders who have submitted to long detention and completed therapy. The shift, which emerged from closed sessions last year, occurs against a backdrop of explosive growth in the program's population and costs. The state's offender population has tripled since 2003 -- to 605 people last year -- making Minnesota first per capita among states in confining sex offenders and third overall in offender population, behind California and Florida.
But officials, clinicians and legal experts say their main concern is that the program might not withstand new court challenges over the constitutionality of holding offenders for years without the prospect of release.
Nonetheless, the prospective release of John Rydberg, 68, and Thomas Duvall, 55, is sure to reignite debate over public safety and the effectiveness of therapy for violent, chronic sex offenders.
Rydberg and Duvall have extremely violent backgrounds, with dozens of sexual offenses that include rape by knifepoint, and they are considered high risks for sexual recidivism, according to state documents. Each has previously failed sexual treatment programs, records show, and both have been diagnosed as psychopathic personalities. If released, they would be subject to covert surveillance, lie detector tests and GPS tracking via electronic ankle bracelets.
In two closed sessions last year, a special review board of mental health experts appointed by the Department of Human Services concluded that Rydberg and Duvall had progressed well enough after years of treatment to be provisionally discharged into strictly supervised halfway houses in the Twin Cities, according to sources and documents. The board consists of an attorney, a psychiatrist and a social worker or psychologist.
Their recommendation must be reviewed by a three-judge appeals panel appointed by the state Supreme Court. The judges will hear Rydberg's case in March and Duvall's in April.
The professionals' recommendation seems to chart a new direction in state policy and offers fresh hope to offenders who have clinically progressed to a point where they are judged to be of manageable public risk.
In 2003, Gov. Tim Pawlenty issued an executive order stripping the Human Services commissioner of authority over such releases. That shifted responsibility for the difficult decisions to the judicial branch of government, but it left many offenders feeling that they had to overcome nearly impossible obstacles to release.
Pawlenty issued the order after the Star Tribune reported that state officials were seeking ways to allow some offenders -- deemed less dangerous after treatment -- to live in community halfway houses. Rydberg and Duvall have sued the state in years past, arguing for release because they completed their treatment programs in a secured facility.
Attorneys representing offenders have argued that Pawlenty's order violated state law and interfered with the expertise of treatment specialists who rely on clearly delineated psychological and medical evaluations.
"It's clear this recommendation reflects a different policy,'' said Eric Janus, president of the William Mitchell College of Law in St. Paul and an expert on the legal issues surrounding sex offender release. "The legitimacy of the program depends on a bona fide system for determining when individuals can be returned to the community with appropriate safeguards. A system that never returns anybody into the community is unconstitutional.''
Tuesday, February 1, 2011
Abortion foes begin new battle at Capitol
STAR/TRIBUNE
By ERIC ROPER, Star Tribune
A new era of abortion politics is gripping Minnesota and many other states, thanks to the sweeping Republican victories in November that brought a wave of conservatives into power.
For the first time since the 1973 Roe vs. Wade decision, the Minnesota House and Senate are controlled by legislators who oppose abortion rights. They have already introduced a bill that would bar public funding for abortions, directly challenging a 1995 Minnesota Supreme Court ruling that said the state must provide abortion services for low-income women.
Bills being proposed in other states would ban most abortions at 20 weeks after conception, push women considering abortions to view a live ultrasound of the fetus, or curb insurance coverage.
"This is the best climate for passing pro-life laws in years," said Michael Gonidakis, executive director of Ohio Right to Life.
The change in fortunes was clear on the grounds outside the Minnesota State Capitol on Saturday, the 38th anniversary of Roe vs. Wade. The mood among the 1,000 people who held up signs reading "Protect Life" and "Abortion Kills Children" was celebratory.
"This year, with a pro-life House and a pro-life Senate, it's time to stop the killing," said Minnesota Citizens Concerned for Life executive director Scott Fischbach, who was flanked by a group of state legislators and Minnesota's Republican congressional delegation.
Fifteen states now have both a legislature and governor who are abortion opponents, according to NARAL Pro-Choice America. A year ago, the number was 10. In the Midwest, that includes Michigan, Ohio and Wisconsin. Overall, 29 governors are foes of abortion, compared with 21 last year.
The U.S. abortion rate peaked at more than 29 abortions per 1,000 women in 1981. By 2008 it had fallen to slightly under 20 abortions per 1,000 women, according to the Guttmacher Institute.
In Minnesota, ending taxpayer subsidies is just one of the goals of Minnesota Citizens Concerned for Life. The group also hopes to ban the few abortions done after 20 weeks, mirroring a recently passed Nebraska law, and to prevent cuts to programs that encourage pregnant women to give birth.
"I don't believe that the taxpayers should be asked to fund things that a large percentage of the population finds morally repugnant," said Rep. David Thompson, R-Lakeville, who is sponsoring the bill to end state funding of the procedure along with Senate Majority Leader Amy Koch, R-Buffalo, and other Republicans.
If the bill were to become law, it would alter an arrangement in which state and federal funding paid for about 3,700 Minnesota abortions in 2008, at a cost of $1.5 million, according to the Minnesota Department of Human Services. The department didn't break down the cost between state and federal funds.
By ERIC ROPER, Star Tribune
A new era of abortion politics is gripping Minnesota and many other states, thanks to the sweeping Republican victories in November that brought a wave of conservatives into power.
For the first time since the 1973 Roe vs. Wade decision, the Minnesota House and Senate are controlled by legislators who oppose abortion rights. They have already introduced a bill that would bar public funding for abortions, directly challenging a 1995 Minnesota Supreme Court ruling that said the state must provide abortion services for low-income women.
Bills being proposed in other states would ban most abortions at 20 weeks after conception, push women considering abortions to view a live ultrasound of the fetus, or curb insurance coverage.
"This is the best climate for passing pro-life laws in years," said Michael Gonidakis, executive director of Ohio Right to Life.
The change in fortunes was clear on the grounds outside the Minnesota State Capitol on Saturday, the 38th anniversary of Roe vs. Wade. The mood among the 1,000 people who held up signs reading "Protect Life" and "Abortion Kills Children" was celebratory.
"This year, with a pro-life House and a pro-life Senate, it's time to stop the killing," said Minnesota Citizens Concerned for Life executive director Scott Fischbach, who was flanked by a group of state legislators and Minnesota's Republican congressional delegation.
Fifteen states now have both a legislature and governor who are abortion opponents, according to NARAL Pro-Choice America. A year ago, the number was 10. In the Midwest, that includes Michigan, Ohio and Wisconsin. Overall, 29 governors are foes of abortion, compared with 21 last year.
The U.S. abortion rate peaked at more than 29 abortions per 1,000 women in 1981. By 2008 it had fallen to slightly under 20 abortions per 1,000 women, according to the Guttmacher Institute.
In Minnesota, ending taxpayer subsidies is just one of the goals of Minnesota Citizens Concerned for Life. The group also hopes to ban the few abortions done after 20 weeks, mirroring a recently passed Nebraska law, and to prevent cuts to programs that encourage pregnant women to give birth.
"I don't believe that the taxpayers should be asked to fund things that a large percentage of the population finds morally repugnant," said Rep. David Thompson, R-Lakeville, who is sponsoring the bill to end state funding of the procedure along with Senate Majority Leader Amy Koch, R-Buffalo, and other Republicans.
If the bill were to become law, it would alter an arrangement in which state and federal funding paid for about 3,700 Minnesota abortions in 2008, at a cost of $1.5 million, according to the Minnesota Department of Human Services. The department didn't break down the cost between state and federal funds.
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