MCCL's many printed pro-life educational pieces and other liteature may be downloaded, or ordered by contacting MCCL. EDUCATIONAL MATERIALS MCCL produces many educational brochures, fliers, and other materials about right-to-life issues. Some of them are posted below; click on them to view and print. You may order these and other materials by contacting MCCL . For MCCL Global Outreach (GO) brochures, visit the GO website . Recent materials Minnesota's extreme abortion policy (flier) Pro-life petition Pro-life heroes coloring book Other materials The dangers of chemical abortions (flier) Planned Parenthood: Abortion. Money. Politics. Scandal. (flier, legal size) Oppose the legalization of assisted suicide (English/Spanish flier) Why pro-life? The case for inclusion (flier) Life Before Birth (flier) | Spanish version How abortion hurts women (brochure) | Spanish | French Stem cell research & human cloning (brochure) Assisted suicide and contagion: How assisted suicide advocacy and legalization threatens the lives of vulnerable people (white paper) MCCL: Who we are and what we do Kids' materials Kids' science quiz "My Mom and Me" pro-life activity book Come see me in the womb Can you guess? Crossword puzzle Pro-life origami hand game

Current abortion legislation in Minnesota: 2026 THREATS TO LIFE IN MINNESOTA: 2024 BILLS The pro-abortion "Equal Rights Amendment" (ERA) Legislators in 2024 are proposing a so-called “Equal Rights Amendment” to the state Constitution that Minnesotans would vote on in November of 2024 or 2026. The current proposal would enshrine a right to abortion up to birth in the Minnesota Constitution. It also removes protection for "creed," which puts the religious and conscience rights of Minnesotans in grave jeopardy, including the right not to be forced to participate in abortion. Tell your legislators to VOTE NO on the dangerous ERA. Learn more about the dangers of the ERA . Mandated abortion coverage A health bill (H.F. 4053 / S.F. 3967) would require that every health insurance plan cover elective abortion. I f the measure becomes law, Minnesotans would be forced to support abortion through their health insurance premiums. Tell your legislators to VOTE NO on the bill to mandate abortion coverage. Assisted suicide The so-called "End-of-Life Option Act " (H.F. 1930 / S.F. 1813) would authorize a doctor to prescribe a lethal drug overdose in order for a patient to intentionally end his or her own life. This bill poses serious risks to members of our society. Tell your legislators to VOTE NO on the bill to legalize assisted suicide. Learn more about the dangers of assisted suicide . Take ac tion now Contact your state lawmakers here , or call your senator at 651-296-0504 and your representative at 651-296-2146. Don't know who represents you? Find out here .

2026 MCCL FAIR BOOTHS: VOLUNTEER TRAINING Sign up for a training session: JUNE DATES JULY DATES AUGUST DATES For the second straight year, MCCL will hold online training sessions for our fair booth volunteers. The goal is to prepare volunteers to have productive yet comfortable conversations with fairgoers who don’t already agree with us—compassionate conversations that touch hearts and change minds. Only through dialogue, through reaching people one conversation at a time, can we create a truly pro-life culture that protects unborn babies and their moms! Many of you received this training last summer, and we consistently received great feedback from those we trained. “I was blown away by this training! It was very thought-provoking and informative, and the time flew by,” wrote one participant afterward. Others called the sessions “informative and practical,” “very useful and thoughtfully presented,” “excellent training and encouragement for success,” and “VERY well done! Yes, exactly what we need.” This year’s training will focus not just on key dialogue principles, pro-life responses to pro-abortion arguments, and how to explain Minnesota’s extreme policies, but also on the pivotal importance of the fall election. We encourage volunteers who participated last year to do so again, and we especially encourage volunteers who have not yet received this training to do so. Each free 75-minute session will be conducted remotely through Zoom (though you may also join by phone). You can register for a session in June , July , or August . Please choose a session that takes place shortly before your fair so that the material stays fresh in your mind.

Pregnancy care centers offer services including free pregnancy testing, counseling, practical assistance, information about alternatives to abortion, and more. PREGNANT? NEED HELP? ¿Estás Embarazada? ¿Necesitas Ayuda? 24-hour nationwide help: OptionLine -- call/text 1-800-712-4357 Birthright -- call 1-800-550-4900 Listed below are pregnancy resource centers throughout Minnesota and surrounding areas—scroll to find the one nearest you. Pregnancy resource centers offer services including free pregnancy testing, ultrasounds, options counseling, alternatives to abortion, and many other forms of assistance. Available services vary by center. Individual centers are sponsored by various organizations; some are faith-based, but all are open to women of all faiths. Please also see information about additional pregnancy services and post-abortion support . MINNESOTA scroll to find your city Alexandria Life Connections 320-762-1224 Anoka Women's Care Center 763-208-0076 Apple Valley Pregnancy Choices 952-234-9850 Austin Rachel's Hope 507-437-7595 Bemidji Northwoods Pregnancy Center 218-444-3035 Brainerd Birthright 218-829-8470 Lakes Area Pregnancy Support Center 218-432-2439 Burnsville Amnion Women's Center 952-209-9990 Cambridge Lex Specialty Clinic 763-325-8709 Coon Rapids Birthright 763-757-0715 Epiphany Caring for Life 612-803-2225 Crystal Metro Women's Center 763-533-8642 Crystal Women's Clinic 763-531-9554 Deer River New Beginnings Pregnancy + Family Support 218-246-2010 Detroit Lakes Health Resource Center 218-844-8822 Duluth Women's Care Center 218-623-7100 East Bethel Lex Specialty Clinic 763-297-3311 Eden Prairie SW Options for Women 952-938-4496 Elk River Elevier Women's Center 763-441-7777 Fairmont Options Pregnancy Center 507-238-2330 Faribault Pregnancy Options LifeCare Center 507-332-7644 Fergus Falls Health Resource Center 218-736-6050 Forest Lake Lakes LifeCare Center 651-464-4340 Grand Rapids New Beginnings Pregnancy + Family Support 218-326-0404 Hastings TLC of Hastings 651-437-4200 Hibbing Family Life Center 218-262-5768 Hutchinson Birthright 320-587-5433 International Falls Northern Options for Women 218-285-7673 Little Canada New Day Pregnancy Care Center 651-644-3937 Women's LifeCare Center 651-777-0350 Long Prairie Pregnancy & Life Resource Center 320-533-0976 Mankato Birthright 507-387-7818 Catholic Charities 507-387-5586 Options for Women 507-625-2229 Marshall Birthright 507-532-3660 Choices Pregnancy Center 507-637-2534 Milaca Rum River Life Choices Center 320-983-3771 Minneapolis City Life Center 612-874-1808 First Care Pregnancy Center 612-286-0076 Abria Pregnancy Resources 651-350-1179 Tandem Family Resource Center 612-823-0301 Moorhead Birthright 218-477-1977 Women's Care Center 218-512-0453 Mora Mora Crisis Pregnancy Center 320-679-4493 Morris Options for Women Morris 320-589-0300 New Ulm First Choice Pregnancy Services 507-359-9800 North Branch Options for Women Chisago County 651-674-2121 Northfield Northfield Women's Center 507-645-7638 Ortonville Options for Women 320-487-0111 Park Rapids Pregnancy Resource Center 218-732-5212 Pine City Pregnancy Resource Center 320-629-2792 Princeton Rum River Life Choices Center 763-389-7876 Red Wing First Choice Clinic 651-267-4357 Redwood Falls Choices Pregnancy Center 507-637-2534 Richfield First Care Pregnancy Center 612-866-7643 Rochester Birthright 507-288-9374 Catholic Charities 507-287-2047 First Care Pregnancy Center 507-282-3377 Roseau North Region Pregnancy Care Center 218-463-0580 Sandstone Options for Women 320-216-7633 Sauk Centre Options for Women 320-351-4025 Savage Alpha Women's Center 952-495-0300 Staples Lakes Area Pregnancy Support Center 218-432-2439 Stillwater Options for Women St. Croix Valley 651-439-5964 St. Cloud Pregnancy Resource Center 320-216-3280 St. Michael Options for Women Cornerstone 612-584-9449 St. Paul Abria Pregnancy Resources 651-350-1179 Birthright 651-646-7033 First Care Pregnancy Center 651-730-4342 Options for Women East 651-776-2328 Thief River Falls Aurora Resource Center 218-681-1279 Wadena Lakes Area Pregnancy Support Center 218-432-2439 Waite Park Elevate Pregnancy and Family Resource Center 320-252-4150 Pregnancy Resource Center 320-216-3280 Walker Walker Area Pregnancy Support Center 218-547-5433 West St. Paul Wakota Guiding Star 651-457-1195 Willmar Hope Pregnancy Center 320-235-7619 Winona Catholic Charities 507-454-2270 Birthright 507-452-2421 Woodbury Options for Women 651-340-9062 Worthington Helping Hands Pregnancy Center 507-372-2111 SURROUNDING AREAS scroll to find your city NORTH DAKOTA: Fargo Women's Care Center 701-237-6530 Grand Forks Relate Care Center 701-746-8866 SOUTH DAKOTA: Brookings Option 1 Women's Health Center 605-692-1600 Sioux Falls Alpha Center 605-361-3500 Birthright 605-809-8409 Teddy Bear Den 605-335-2730 Watertown Haven Center 605-878-0265 WISCONSIN: La Crosse Agape Pregnancy Resource Center 608-784-4966 Menomonie Options for Women 715-222-0777 River Falls Options for Women 715-425-8539 St Croix Falls Options on 8 715-755-2229 Superior Lake Superior Lifecare Center 715-394-4102 Organizations listed on this page are not necessarily endorsed by MCCL and should be evaluated by individuals who plan to use their services.

MCCL's pro-life summer camp provides pro-life education to equip students to be knowledgeable and effective pro-life advocates and leaders. MCCL's 2026 Life Leadership Camps will take place June 22-25 (for grades 9-12) and Aug. 9-12 (for grades 6-8) in Paynesville, Minnesota. Registration is now open. MIDDLE SCHOOL HIGH SCHOOL Life Leadership Camp is MCCL's annual pro-life summer camp for young people. Please note that, in a change from past years, we're now offering two different camps—one for middle school students and one for high school students. Students and parents should make plans now! Life Leadership Camp — high school: June 22-25 at Koronis Ministries (Paynesville, MN) For students who will enter grades 9-12 in the fall. Students must be under the age of 18. Register now . (Registration deadline is June 15 or when camp reaches capacity.) Life Leadership Camp — middle school: August 9-12 at Koronis Ministries (Paynesville, MN) For students who will enter grades 6-8 in the fall. Register now . (Registration deadline is Aug. 3 or when camp reaches capacity.) The Camp empowered me to have more meaningful conversations with friends and to share what I've learned with others. I also hope to start a [college pro-life] club. - Previous camp attendee Spanning two full days and two partial days, each Life Leadership Camp offers impactful pro-life education, compelling guest speakers, engaging activities, and outdoor fun with fellow students from across the state. Students will learn how to make a difference for life as pro-life leaders in their schools and communities! Cost to attend is just $100 per student, which includes meals, accommodations, materials, and a T-shirt; scholarships are also available. Both camps take place at Koronis Ministries in Paynesville, which is west of the Twin Cities in central Minnesota. Life Leadership Camp (originally called Camp Joshua) began in 2015 and has taken place each summer since, with the exception of 2020. Please contact MCCL with any questions or concerns! Frequently Asked Questions What is Life Leadership Camp? Life Leadership Camp is a pro-life summer camp for high school and middle school students that includes educational sessions, fun outdoor games, engaging activities, and more, covering abortion and other right-to-life issues. Students will learn about pro-life activism, leadership, and engaging others in dialogue to impact hearts and minds, while making new friends and networking with other pro-life students from across the state. They will gain the knowledge and tools to become effective pro-life advocates and lead pro-life student groups at their own schools. When is Life Leadership Camp? June 22-25 (high school) OR August 9-12 (middle school), 2026. Camp begins at 3:00 p.m. on the first day and ends at noon on the last. Where will it be held? Koronis Ministries (15752 County Rd. 181, Paynesville, MN 56362) What does it cost? $100 per student (includes meals, accommodations, materials, and T-shirt); scholarships are available. Who can attend Life Leadership Camp? June 22-25 camp: High school students who will be entering grades 9-12 (under 18 only). August 9-12 camp: Middle school students who will be entering grades 6-8. How do I register? Register online on this page (above), or complete the paper registration and other required forms and mail with suggested donation to: MCCL, 4249 Nicollet Ave, Minneapolis, MN 55409. When is the registration deadline? The registration deadline is June 15 (for the June camp) or Aug. 3 (for the August camp), or when camp reaches capacity. We will contact you shortly after the deadline with a packing list, directions to the camp, and other relevant information. Who sponsors Life Leadership Camp? Life Leadership Camp is sponsored by Minnesota Citizens Concerned for Life (MCCL), Minnesota’s oldest and largest pro-life organization and the sole Minnesota affiliate of the National Right to Life Committee. Who will be leading Life Leadership Camp? MCCL's Ministry Safe-trained staff will lead the camp. MCCL staff and special guest speakers will lead sessions. Find Life Leadership Camp promotional materials here.

MCCL is Minnesota's largest pro-life organization. We work to secure protection for innocent human life from conception until natural death. MINNESOTA CITIZENS CONCERNED FOR LIFE The mission of Minnesota Citizens Concerned for Life is to secure protection for innocent human life from conception until natural death through effective education, legislation, and political action. LEARN MORE LIFE LEADERSHIP CAMP Middle and high schoolers can sign up for one of our fun and impactful pro-life summer camps. LEARN MORE THE LATEST Session recap: Bills stall in divided Minnesota legislature; moms of disabled babies share powerful testimony The legislative session ended on May 18 with both pro-life and anti-life bills failing to pass the narrowly divided Minnesota legislature. MCCL worked to advance two lifesaving measures and to stop multiple dangerous proposals from becoming law. ... 3 hours ago First-ever Life Launch conference equips pro-life young adults at Mall of America On April 11, MCCL hosted our first-ever conference for pro-life college students and young adults. The Life Launch conference provided a day full of education, networking, and fun! The event took place in a private venue on the fourth floor of the Mall of America, overlooking Nickelodeon Universe. ... Apr 28 Pro-life men need to get involved The pro-abortion movement likes to present abortion as a women’s issue only. Supposedly, because the mother is carrying the baby, she is the only person impacted by the abortion. But this claim is incorrect: fathers who lose their babies are deeply affected by abortion. A 2023 study found that more than 7 in 10 men reported negative effects on themselves from a partner’s abortion. ... Apr 2 UPCOMING EVENTS SUMMER 2026 COUNTY FAIR OUTREACH JUNE 21 FATHER'S DAY JUNE 22-25 LIFE LEADERSHIP CAMP #1 AUGUST 9-12 LIFE LEADERSHIP CAMP #2 COUNTY FAIRS Find MCCL's pro-life booth at your local county fair this summer! PRO-LIFE RESOURCES PREGNANT? Find help for your circumstances. GET HELP ABORTION IN MINNESOTA 14,358 abortions were reported in 2024, according to the Department of Health. LEARN MORE THE CASE FOR INCLUSION Every human being has human rights. Both pregnant women and unborn children deserve our support and protection. READ MORE Join us to save lives. DONATE NOW QUICK LINKS RESOURCES Pregnancy help Why pro-life? MN's extreme policies Press releases Get updates Social media EVENTS March for Life Choose Life Drive Legislative Dinner Student Day @ the Capitol Life Leadership Camp Fair outreach GET INVOLVED Contact MCCL Contact lawmakers Book a speaker Donate Volunteer Privacy Policy

The pro-life view isn't just a feeling or personal preference. It's not merely a belief that some people hold. It is supported by very good reasons. It is based on a fact of science and a principle of justice. Why Pro- Life? THE CASE FOR INCLUSION Abortion ends the life of a human embryo or fetus. Is this killing morally permissible? Or is it an injustice? More than 150 years ago, a Boston physician named Horatio R. Storer pointed to the heart of the issue. "The whole question," he observed , "turns on ... the real nature of the foetus in utero ." Does the unborn child have a right not to be intentionally killed? Does she matter like we matter? Does she count as one of us? Yes, she does. This position is based on a fact of science and a principle of justice . Science: The unborn is a human being First, the unborn (the human zygote, embryo, or fetus) is a human being—a living human organism at the earliest developmental stages. This is a fact established by the science of embryology. Four features of the unborn human are important: Distinct. The unborn has a DNA and body distinct from her mother and father. She develops her own arms, legs, brain, nervous system, heart, and so forth. Living. The unborn meets the biological criteria for life. She grows by reproducing cells. She turns nutrients into energy through metabolism. And she can respond to stimuli. Human. The unborn has a human genetic signature. She is the offspring of human parents, and humans can only beget other humans. Organism. The unborn is an organism (rather than a mere organ or tissue)—an individual whose parts work together for the good of the whole. Guided by a complete genetic code, she needs only the proper environment and nutrition to develop herself through the different stages of life as a member of our species. "Human development begins at fertilization when a sperm fuses with an oocyte to form a single cell, a zygote," explains the textbook The Developing Human: Clinically Oriented Embryology . "This highly specialized, totipotent cell marks the beginning of each of us as a unique individual." The scientific evidence , then, shows that the unborn is a living individual of the species Homo sapiens , the same kind of being as us, only at an earlier stage of development. Each of us was once a zygote, embryo, and fetus, just as we were once infants, toddlers, and adolescents. Related articles The pro-life view in three simple steps Responding to three main arguments for abortion A guide to effective pro-life dialogue Why the unborn is a human being Why unborn humans have rights My body, my choice? Excluding the unborn doesn't make any sense Equality and abortion are mutually exclusive How a shallow view of the self underlies arguments for abortion More articles Justice: All human beings have human rights Second, all human beings have human rights. Everyone counts. This is a principle of justice. Unborn humans are different from most born humans in a number of ways, but those differences aren't relevant to whether or not someone has rights. Unborn children may look different from older human beings, but appearance has nothing to do with value. Unborn children are less physically and mentally developed, but toddlers are less developed than teenagers, and that doesn't make them any less important. Unborn children are dependent on someone else , but so are newborn children and many people with disabilities. Defenders of abortion often argue that unborn humans aren't "persons" who have rights because they lack certain characteristics. One problem with this view is that it excludes more human beings than just unborn children. If unborn children aren't persons because they lack higher mental functions , for example, then human infants , people in temporary comas, and patients with advanced dementia aren’t persons either. Another problem is that this approach undermines equality for everyone . If characteristics like cognitive ability or physical independence make us valuable, then those who have more of those characteristics are more valuable than those who have less. None of us are equal according to this view. Historically, every single attempt to divide humanity into those who have rights and those who are expendable has proven to be a colossal mistake. Why think abortion is any different? The truth is that we have human rights simply because we are human —not because of what we look like, or what we can do, or what others think or feel about us , but rather because of what (the kind of being) we are. That's why every human being matters, and every human being matters equally. Why abortion is unjust The argument for the pro-life view, then, may be summarized like this: The unborn is a human being. All human beings have human rights, which include the right not to be intentionally killed. Therefore, the unborn human being has human rights. This is why abortion—the intentional killing of human beings in utero (through lethal suction , dismemberment , crushing, or poisoning )—is unjust. It's why both pregnant women and their unborn children deserve our respect, protection, and care. Answering arguments for abortion Here are some of the most common arguments offered in defense of abortion—and why they don't work. Choice Many abortion supporters say that women have a right to choose , or that we should trust women and let them decide . People do have the right to choose to do lots of things. But there are some acts that aren’t just and shouldn’t be permitted by law because they harm innocent people. The question at hand is whether abortion is one of those harmful acts. There are good reasons (see above) to think it is. (Read more about this argument.) Bodily autonomy Women have a right to control their own bodies, many defenders of abortion argue. Bodily autonomy is very important, but it must respect the bodies and rights of others . Most people agree, for example, that pregnant women shouldn’t ingest drugs that cause birth defects. And if harming unborn children is wrong, then dismembering and killing them (through abortion) is even worse. Moreover, parents should provide basic care for their children (including during pregnancy) because they are responsible for the existence of those children. (Read more about this argument.) Tough circumstances Pregnant women often face very difficult circumstances. But if unborn children are valuable human beings, like born children, then killing them is no more justified in tough situations (e.g., financial hardship) than killing born children in those same situations. Our response to the difficulties women face should be to provide support, resources, and ethical alternatives —so no woman feels like abortion is her only option. (Read more about this argument.) Rape Although rape and incest account for less than one percent of Minnesota abortions, these cases are very real. Rape is a truly horrific crime, and the crime is made even worse when the woman then becomes a pregnant mother against her will. Abortion, however, compounds the violence of rape by taking the life of a vulnerable human being who has done nothing wrong. Both the mother and child deserve support and care in the midst of this very painful and unfair situation. Adverse diagnoses An adverse prenatal diagnosis is heartbreaking. But just as disease and disability don't justify killing born children, they aren't good reasons to kill unborn children either. Moreover, support and alternatives to abortion are available, including adoption for children with special needs and perinatal hospice in the event of a terminal diagnosis. (Read more about this argument.) Saving the mother In rare and tragic cases, saving a pregnant woman's life requires ending her pregnancy (such as through premature delivery or C-section)—even though the child may not be able to survive outside the womb. This is uncontroversial, though, because it's better to save the mother's life than to let both mother and child die. It is not the same as intentionally killing the child, which is never medically necessary . Imposing a view Some people express personal opposition to abortion, yet don't want to impose that view on others by making abortion illegal. But the reason to personally oppose abortion is that it unjustly takes the life of an innocent human being. And surely the law ought to protect basic human rights and prevent violence against the defenseless. No one would say, "I'm personally opposed to sex trafficking, but I don't want to impose that view on everyone else." (Read more about this argument.) Forcing religion People often say that pro-lifers are trying to force their religious beliefs on the rest of society. But the pro-life position is supported by science and reason and is held by many non-religious people . Opposition to killing unborn children is no more inherently "religious" than opposition to killing teenagers (or anyone else). Moreover, the fact that a person's position on an issue may be influenced by religion should not exclude it from public consideration. The Rev. Martin Luther King Jr.'s work in the civil rights movement, for example, was heavily influenced by his religious convictions. (Read more about this argument.) Danger of illegal abortion Before abortion was legalized, some say, many women died from illegal abortions—and this will happen again when abortion is banned. The truth is that antibiotics and other medical advances produced a dramatic decline in maternal deaths through the middle of the 20th century. This drop occurred before the 1973 nationwide legalization of abortion, which had no apparent effect on mortality rates. Indeed, a wealth of evidence shows that we can protect the rights of unborn children and have a high standard of maternal health at the same time. (Read more about this argument.) Punishing women Some abortion supporters warn that when abortion is illegal, women who have abortions will be put in prison. That's not true. Before the legalization of abortion in the United States, women who underwent abortion were virtually never prosecuted (practitioners of abortion were targeted instead). Post-abortive women deserve compassion , not condemnation. Gender equality Some feminists argue that gender equality requires legalized abortion. The challenges of pregnancy and childbirth do fall uniquely on women and not men (though men are equally responsible for their children). But the burdens of caring for five-year-old children fall on the parents of five-year-old children and not on everyone else—and laws against killing or abandoning five-year-olds are not unjust for that reason. Despite differing circumstances, everyone should be equally prohibited from taking innocent human life. More can and should be done, however, to hold men to their responsibilities as fathers and to accommodate the essential role mothers play in our society. (Read more about this argument.) Men and abortion Some people say that men shouldn't express an opinion about abortion. It's true that men can't fully understand the experience of pregnancy, but it's also true that abortion is either right or wrong irrespective of the experience of any particular person . The pro-life view is held by millions of women. That view cannot just be dismissed because of a trait of a person who happens to be advocating it. If abortion really is the unjust taking of innocent human life, then both women and men ought to speak up on behalf of the unborn girls and boys who have no voice. (Read more about this argument.) Additional arguments Do laws work to stop abortion? No, abortion is not health care Are pro-lifers misogynists and hypocrites? Is abortion actually good for unborn children? The frozen embryo rescue argument Abortion is the opposite of love Is there a moral right to abortion? The values of pro-choice people actually support the pro-life position Unborn children aren't constructed—they develop More articles QUICK LINKS RESOURCES Pregnancy help Why pro-life? MN's extreme policies Press releases Get updates Social media EVENTS March for Life Choose Life Drive Legislative Dinner Student Day @ the Capitol Life Leadership Camp Fair outreach GET INVOLVED Contact MCCL Contact lawmakers Book a speaker Donate Volunteer Privacy Policy

MCCL is a pro-life presence at the State Fair, county fairs, and numerous other events such as conferences. PRO-LIFE BOOTHS + DISPLAYS Please note: MCCL's booth at the 2025 Minnesota State Fair will be located in the Education building, NOT the Grandstand building (as in past years). MCCL is a pro-life presence at the State Fair, county fairs, and numerous other events. MCCL booths often include pro-life educational materials, life-sized fetal models, fetal development videos, pro-life petitions , and more. Each summer, MCCL provides a pro-life booth at about 85 county fairs across Minnesota. MCCL also has a booth at the State Fair each year. Minnesota fairgoers number in the millions each summer—fair booths are the single biggest pro-life educational outreach of the year. MCCL relies on our chapters and on hundreds of faithful volunteers to staff these booths. To volunteer for a shift staffing the MCCL booth at your local county fair or the State Fair, contact MCCL . Dates for the 2025 Minnesota county fairs are available here . If you are attending a fair, be sure to stop by the MCCL booth to pick up the latest pro-life materials and sign the pro-life petition. And say thanks to our wonderful volunteers. See you at the fair!

Contests provide students an opportunity to learn about right-to-life issues, hone communication skills, and speak out on behalf of the most vulnerable. ESSAY + ORATORY CONTESTS MCCL Oratory Contest The MCCL Oratory Contest and National Right to Life Essay Contest provide students with an opportunity to learn about right-to-life issues, hone their communication skills, and speak out on behalf of the most vulnerable. Oratory Contest The MCCL Oratory Contest is open to high school juniors and seniors. Their task is to research, write, and present a five- to seven-minute pro-life speech on abortion, infanticide, euthanasia, or stem cell research. Contestants must submit a video or a link to a YouTube video recording of their speech to the MCCL state office; submissions may be made through May 20. A select group of pro-life judges then evaluate the submissions and select a winner. The winner has the option to compete in the national contest at the National Right to Life Conference June 12-13 in Arlington, Virginia (all expenses for the student and parent chaperone will be paid). To compete, view the MCCL Oratory Contest rules and fill out the application . You can also see the rubric judges use when evaluating speeches. Contact MCCL for more information. Essay Contest The National Right to Life Pro-Life Essay Contest invites teens to write a short essay about their pro-life convictions. The essay must answer this question: "Why are you pro-life?" The Junior Essay Contest is offered to students in grades 7-9; the Senior Essay Contest is for grades 10-12. Essays must be 300-500 words and are due in mid-January. Winning essays are published in the National Right to Life Convention handbook and National Right to Life News . Visit the National Right to Life website to learn more about participating in the Essay Contest.

MCCL compiles the pro-life voting records of lawmakers on right-to-life issues that come before the Minnesota Legislature. LEGISLATIVE ACCOUNTABILITY RATINGS MCCL compiles the voting records of lawmakers on right-to-life issues that come before the Minnesota Legislature. We include committee and floor votes, as well as procedural votes that could affect the outcome of the legislation. Click the chart to view the ratings of legislators for recent years. See also: How to contact your elected officials Tips for contacting elected officials Minnesota's extreme abortion policy Introduction + Key HOUSE SENATE 2023 Votes + Issues 2023 Votes + Issues 2021 Votes + Issues 2021 Votes + Issues 2019 Votes + Issues 2019 Votes + Issues 2018 Votes + Issues 2018 Votes + Issues 2017 Votes + Issues 2017 Votes + Issues 2016 Votes + Issues 2016 Votes + Issues 2015 Votes + Issues 2015 Votes + Issues 2014 Votes + Issues 2014 Votes + Issues 2013 Votes + Issues 2013 Votes + Issues 2012 Votes + Issues 2012 Votes + Issues 2011 Votes + Issues 2011 Votes + Issues 2010 Votes + Issues 2010 Votes + Issues

Minnesota lawmakers are excluding vulnerable members of the human family. Here’s who they are excluding — and who is doing the excluding. Who are they leaving out ... and why? Minnesota lawmakers are excluding vulnerable members of the human family. Here’s who they are excluding — and who is doing the excluding. PREGNANT WOMEN In 2023, the Minnesota legislature and Gov. Walz eliminated the Positive Alternatives program, which provided grants to support pregnant women and new mothers who need help and practical assistance. In addition, lawmakers and Walz repealed the Woman’s Right to Know informed consent law, which ensured that women receive basic factual information prior to undergoing abortion. They also repealed the requirement that only physicians perform abortion procedures. Now, without these longstanding laws, pregnant women are less supported, less empowered, and less protected. Who left them out? VIABLE UNBORN BABIES The Minnesota legislature and Gov. Walz enacted the PRO Act (HF 1), which created in state statute a “fundamental right” to abortion without any limits. Lawmakers and Walz also repealed a 1974 law that had previously limited abortion after viability (SF 2995). As a result of these changes, abortion is legal for any reason (not just health reasons) and at any time throughout pregnancy—including late in pregnancy when unborn children can feel pain. Viable unborn babies in Minnesota have no meaningful rights under the law and may be dismembered or poisoned to death for any reason. Who left them out? NEWBORNS Minnesota law now allows newborns to be set aside to die. Previously, the law guaranteed medically appropriate lifesaving treatment for infants who survive abortion. In 2023, though, the legislature and Gov. Tim Walz repealed the requirement that “reasonable measures consistent with good medical practice” be taken “to preserve the life and health of the born alive infant.” They replaced the requirement for lifesaving measures with a requirement for only “care” (which the bill’s author described as “comfort” care throughout committee discussions and floor debate). Moreover, the new law (SF 2995) no longer applies specifically to babies who survive abortion, but rather to all babies who are born alive. Under the new language, then, any viable infant could be denied lifesaving care and allowed to die. Babies born with disabilities, whose lives are often devalued, are especially at risk. Lawmakers and Walz went even further by repealing the requirement that practitioners of abortion report cases of born-alive infants and the measures taken to care for them (five born-alive infants were reported in 2021, for example). Now, Minnesotans won’t know when babies are born alive and left to die. Who left them out? PARENTS AND MINOR GIRLS Because of a 2022 court ruling, Minnesota no longer requires that parents even be notified prior to an abortion on a minor girl. Some lawmakers have gone further by seeking to erase Minnesota’s parental notification law from the books and deny parents their right to know. But parental involvement helps support minors and protect girls caught in human trafficking (traffickers often use abortion to hide their victims). Girls are harmed when parents are taken out of the equation. Who left them out? NURSING HOME PATIENTS Nursing homes are consistently underfunded, leaving vulnerable patients too often without necessary care. In 2023, Minnesota House members voted against considering a measure to provide nursing homes with the funding they need. Watch: Rep. Anne Neu Brindley exposed the nursing home crisis on the House floor . Who left them out? MINNESOTA VOTERS In 2023, lawmakers and Walz repealed numerous parts of Minnesota's longstanding abortion reporting law. Now, the public will not know about reasons for abortion, babies who survive abortion, and more. The new law also delays the reporting date so that Minnesotans won't learn the latest abortion numbers—which will show the effect of the recent legal changes—until late in the year (after the 2024 election). Minnesota lawmakers are hiding important information and keeping Minnesota voters in the dark. Who left them out? Copyright © 2024 Minnesota Citizens Concerned for Life. All rights reserved.

This research must be conducted within ethical boundaries that respect the equal dignity of all human beings. THE CASE AGAINST EMBRYO DESTRUCTION Scientific and medical research—including stem cell research —is important and valuable work, but this research must be conducted within ethical boundaries that respect the equal dignity of all human beings. Here's why research that requires the destruction of human embryos should be rejected. This baby was adopted as an embryo Why embryos should not be destroyed The destruction of human embryos for embryonic stem cell (ESC) research should be opposed for two reasons. First, it is unnecessary. Research with adult stem cells, which is ethically unproblematic because it does not involve the destruction of human life, has already led to successful treatments for patients with dozens of different conditions. By contrast, ESC research has yet to produce any successful human treatments. Moreover, induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) seem to offer the same theoretical benefits as ESCs—they are pluripotent and can be genetically matched to a potential patient (like ESCs from cloned embryos)—but without any ethical controversy. Second, ESC research is unethical because it requires the killing of human embryos. As a matter of biological fact, a human embryo—whether a result of natural fertilization, in vitro fertilization, or somatic cell nuclear transfer (cloning)—is a distinct, living, and whole (though immature) human organism. The embryo is an individual member of the species Homo sapiens at the embryonic stage of his or her development. Each of us was once an embryo. "An important fact of embryology that is crucial for you to know," explains Dr. Micheline Mathews-Roth of Harvard Medical School, "is that each member of the human species indeed starts his or her existence as one cell, the zygote; and that this fact applies whether the zygote was formed by the union of egg and sperm in the mother's body, or in a petri dish in the process of [in vitro fertilization], or by the processes of reproductive or therapeutic cloning." Moreover, all human beings—regardless of age, size, appearance, location (e.g., a petri dish), and method of creation—have intrinsic value and deserve respect. They are not raw material to treat as a mere means to an end. They should not be killed so that their parts can be used for the theoretical benefit of others. So-called "therapeutic cloning"—creating cloned human embryos to destroy for their stem cells—is even worse than ordinary embryo-destructive research (which utilizes leftover embryos from fertility clinics). Cloning is the deliberate manufacturing of human beings solely in order to exploit and destroy them. It is a total commodification of human life. Cloning also requires harvesting large numbers of eggs from women. This process poses risks to women's health and can threaten their future fertility. And the offer of payment for eggs can lead to the exploitation of low-income women. Answering the arguments for embryo destruction Proponents of embryo-destructive research tout the potential medical benefits of such research. But these benefits are largely speculative and overstated—no successful treatments have yet been developed using embryonic stem cells—while alternative research with adult stem cells has already proven highly successful. Regardless, even the best goal cannot justify any means. No one would consider killing and harvesting useful parts from mentally disabled adults, even if it would save the lives of many other people. If embryos are valuable human beings, like disabled adults, then killing them for research, even to achieve an admirable goal, is unjust. Another popular justification for embryonic stem cell research is that there are many "spare" or "excess" embryos—left over from in vitro fertilization—that will likely be frozen indefinitely or thrown away. Rather than discarding them, advocates argue, we ought to use them for research that could benefit others. But this argument fails for multiple reasons. First, leftover embryos need not be discarded or killed for research—they can be adopted by loving parents. In an embryo adoption , an embryo is transferred into the uterus of an adoptive mother and given the opportunity to grow up. This is a life-giving option for infertile couples and couples wishing to adopt, and it offers embryos a chance at life. The Snowflakes Embryo Adoption Program and others like it have facilitated the adoption of thousands of frozen human embryos. Second, even assuming that embryos will die anyway, we are not justified in slicing them up for experimentation. No one suggests that we kill and extract organs from terminally ill patients, death row inmates, or dying soldiers on the battlefield, even though they are "going to die anyway." Human beings ought to be treated with dignity and respect, not farmed for their useful parts. Related articles: Stem cell research and human cloning The embryo rescue argument fails to show that some humans are expendable The case against abortion