Minnesota Moms Challenge Judge Gilligan’s Decision

Abortion is legal up until the moment of birth in Minnesota, but that is not enough for Judge Thomas Gilligan. On July 13, 2022, Judge Gilligan overturned almost all regulations on abortion in Minnesota including the following regulations: 

• Physician Only Law: Only a physician can perform an abortion.
• Hospitalization Law: If a woman has an abortion in the second or third trimester, it must be performed in a hospital or abortion facility. If she is after viability (around 23-25 weeks), it must be performed in a hospital.
• Mandatory Disclosure Law: The woman must be informed of the medical risks, the gestational age of her child, the risks of carrying to term, and the services available if she has a baby with birth defects. She must also be informed whether the anesthetics used would alleviate her child’s pain after 20 weeks’ gestation, that she may be eligible for benefits for prenatal care, childbirth, and neonatal care, and that the father is liable for child support.
• Physician Disclosure Law: The information above must be provided by a physician.
• Mandatory Delay Law: The information above must be given to the woman at least 24 hours before her abortion is performed. 
• Felony Penalties: If an abortionist performed an abortion but did not give her a full explanation of the abortion and its effects  or used unapproved methods, his crime is a felony. 
• Two-Parent Notification Law: Both parents must be notified if a minor girl has an abortion. 

Now, all of these regulations are gone. Even someone who is for abortion should be appalled that a minor girl can go in and have a surgery performed by a nurse practitioner without her parent’s permission in an unrenovated office building that has never been inspected by the Minnesota Department of Health. Many abortion supporters applaud this ruling, but at what cost? No health inspections? Rusty surgical tools? Unrenovated office buildings?

Women deserve to know all of their options before they choose abortion. Women deserve safe facilities and qualified medical professionals to provide their care. Parents deserve to know about medical procedures performed on their minor daughters.

Women deserve better; Minnesota deserves better. 

• Judge Thomas Gilligan’s decision
• Physician Only Law, Hospitalization Law, Felony Penalties
• Mandatory Disclosure Law, Physician Disclosure Law, Mandatory Delay Law
• Two Parent Notification Law