Pro-Life Constitutional Amendment: Clearing Up a Critical Misunderstanding
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Pro-Life Constitutional Amendment: Clearing Up a Critical Misunderstanding
(Note: this article was updated at 11:30 a.m.)
Hi Friends, I am reaching out to write to you about a critical misunderstanding regarding a recent Pro-Life Constitutional Amendment Bill. The confusion is leading to attacks between candidates, campaigns and conservative groups.
Lt. Governor candidate Phil Parrish addressed this bill in a recent article. He began his post praying “let the truth cut through the theater.” It is my hope and prayer that my words of explanation below can be an answer to that prayer for the sake of all of the candidates, campaigns and voters.
With the Primary Election looming a mere six days away, we cannot afford to be misguided or divided.
The focus of the discussion centers around HF 5084, a bill which seeks to establish constitutional protections for a pre-born child’s right to life.
The bill states: “A preborn child has the right to life…”
This is a great start and a noble goal. However, quickly on its heels comes the problematic language which also protects a right to abortion in the name of “healthcare.” (I have highlighted the concerning language above and marked in bold below.)
“… This section does not prohibit the provision of medical treatment necessary to save the life or preserve the health of a pregnant individual or the removal of a nonviable or deceased preborn child, including in cases of miscarriage or ectopic pregnancy.”
So after the bill states that every pre-born child has the right to life, then it goes on to elaborate that this right of the child will NOT PROHIBIT “medical treatment” to “save the life” or “preserve the health” of a “pregnant individual.”
WORDS MATTER! The progressive left and cultural Marxists often change the language to change the meaning to shift our perception of reality. The term “healthcare” is a great example of this.
For Christians and conservatives, we would NEVER ever remotely consider abortion as a “medical treatment;” it is the intentional violence toward the unborn.
Conservatives would NEVER ever consider abortion a part of “healthcare;” after all, it is a procedure that leads to the destruction of health, the antithesis of health, for certain for the baby, but it is also harmful to the mother as well.
However, when the Democrat Trifecta passed HF 1 in 2023, they hijacked the term “healthcare” and used it to encompass abortion as well. Just take a look at the reading of this bill which legalized abortion up until birth in 2023.
“Reproductive health care includes… abortion care.”
“Reproductive health care…means...terminating a pregnancy.”
They just said it out loud. They want “health care” to include the destruction of life in its most precarious state: within the womb….
To us, abortion being considered “reproductive health care” is an abhorrent oxymoron, but for the progressive left, this redefinition is central to their agenda. For the left, access to abortion is “lifesaving care.” They literally believe that women must have access to abortion or women will die as a result.
When HF1 passed into law in 2023, it established a legislative precedent in Minnesota statue that the term “health care” now encompasses abortion.
Due to Doe vs. Gomez, there is an even greater judicial precedent establishing a broadly interpreted “health exemption.”
Roe vs. Wade forced states to respect a “health exemption” allowing abortions. Even though Roe vs. Wade has been overturned, Doe vs. Gomez has established the right to abortion in Minnesota. In their deliberation of Doe vs. Gomez, the Minnesota Supreme Court accepted a broad interpretation of “health exemption.”
The court ruled that if the physician/abortionist determines the pregnant woman would be negatively affected by any one of “all factors—physical, emotional, psychological, familial, and the woman’s age—relevant to the well-being of the patient,” it would qualify as a “health exception.”
Literally ANY health reason could qualify as justification for abortion as determined by a physician, which also includes the abortionist!
This judicial precedent is even greater reason why wording such as “health care” in HF 5084 would be interpreted by the Minnesota Supreme Court as very broad, lenient protection for the right to abortion.
So while the constitutional amendment in HF 5084 purports to protect the life of the unborn child, the wording of the bill would actually have the OPPOSITE effect - enshrining abortion protections into our state constitution.!
HF 5084 would actually establish BOTH a right to life for the unborn child AND a woman’s right to abortion for ANY health reason.
This is critical understanding for every legislator, candidate, and even grassroots citizens to be aware of so that we do not inadvertently support pro-abortion legislation.
MCCL was the first to recognize and sound the alarm that the problematic wording of this bill would undermine its pro-life goal.
This is why they reached out to the legislators with their concerns and ultimately did not support the bill. MCCL is Minnesota’s longest standing pro-life organization. They have critical experience and insight into pro-life legislation that we all should be willing to listen to and learn from.
Just think of it, if HF 5084 passed, the result would be the SAME as if the Democrats had passed their proposed revision of the so-called Equal Rights Amendment — SF 473 — which would enshrine abortion and gender identity rights into the Constitution, while completely omitting protection for religion. To learn more, read my post on the ERA HERE.
Please share this explanation with others who may not understand the concerning wording of the Pro-Life Amendment in HF 5084.
We are all on the same team - Team Life!
In conclusion, I want to commend the legislative authors of HF 5084 for seeking to establish constitutional protections for preborn life. I want to commend the candidates that are striving to stand for life. I want to commend the efforts of MCCL to be legislative watchdogs on everything that pertains to life. We all need to be willing to learn from one another and to work together.
We are not the enemy! Overall, we are on the same team aiming for the same goal: the protection of life, starting with life in the womb. Let us all take a step back, slow down, not be so quick to judge, misinterpret, or react. Let’s take a deep breath and remind ourselves that ultimately, we are all on the same team — Team Life!!! …. Or…are we?
“If you stand for Sanctity of Life, stand now!” ~ Royce White
I want to bring to you the most powerful moment of the U.S. Senate debate today. Watch this short clip to see what happened on the stage and across the room when Royce White challenged everyone present to “Stand now” if you stand for sanctity of life.
Please note: MCCL endorsed, pro-life candidate Adam Schwarze was unfairly excluded from participating in this debate, yet you can see Adam standing in the front row (in a red plaid shirt) when the video pans to the right.
Adam was adopted as a baby, and both his birth mother and his adopted mother support him in his campaign. Because of this, Adam has a unique perspective on both sides of the life issue: a young, overwhelmed pregnant mother plus a couple who were longing to give a baby a home. Please consider supporting Adam Schwarze in the August 11th primary. He will be our strongest pro-life champion in the U.S. Senate, as well as all for all our conservative values which stem from this foundational value.
Sadly, neither Angie Craig, nor Peggy Flanagan stood, nor did ANY of their supporters in the crowd to the left. This was somewhat to be expected, although still grievous to see so many people remain seated. What was not expected to see is a candidate who claims to be a Republican, remaining seated alongside the Democrats!
I’m speaking of Michele Tafoya who is pro-abortion. She said that the one hill she would die on, the one issue she would go to Washington to march on, is the right to have an abortion. Watch her state this HERE. I do not believe we can trust her to be a true conservative.
Resources on the Primary Election —
Every Minnesotan needs to be aware that BOTH parties have MULTIPLE candidates running in the August 11th primary for nearly every statewide office. The Candidates who win the primary on August 11th will be the candidates listed for your party on the ballot on November 3rd! Now is the time to research the candidates, pray, and most importantly Show Up To VOTE!
Early voting for the Primary has already begun! You can view the voting windows and methods below. My best piece of advice is: GREEN means GO! Go vote in person on election day whenever possible. It is still the best and most secure way to vote.
However, you can vote early any day now through Monday in person at your county offices for certain and also your local city hall if you are in the metro area. Learn about early voting locations HERE. Look up “What’s on my Ballot?” HERE.
Please also read my post on the Voter Impact Booth as a tool to drive out low-propensity voter turnout. Historically only 1 in 4 conservatives vote! The only reason we lose is because we don’t SHOW UP!
If you want to rescue our State, we cannot fail to show up this August 11th & November 3rd! Change IS possible in Minnesota, but only if we take action to bring it.
If each of you reading this post reaches out to two people, let them know the importance of the primary and get them to vote, then ask each of them to reach two more people, and so on, then together we CAN FLIP that statistic!
Join me in making it our goal to mobilize 3 out of 4 conservatives to VOTE this August 11th and November 3rd!
Together we can shift the trajectory of our State!
“…The people who know their God shall stand firm and take action.” Daniel 11:32b
