The following statement may be attributed to Leo LaLonde, President of Minnesota Citizens Concerned for Life (MCCL). "Gov. Mark Dayton's appointment of Tina Smith to represent Minnesota in the U.S. Senate is overwhelmingly disappointing to the state's pro-life majority. An abortion industry insider, Ms. Smith is a former vice president of Planned Parenthood in Minnesota, the state's leading performer of abortion. The choice of Ms. Smith is particularly egregious to Minnesota's pro-life citizens, who will have no representation in the Senate. "Most Minnesotans are pro-life. They support greater protection for unborn human beings. Minnesotans need someone who will fight for justice for the most vulnerable among us, the unborn."
Following is further background on Tina Smith: Sadly for unborn children and their mothers, Tina Smith has been named Minnesota's next U.S. senator, replacing Al Franken after his resignation. Many know Smith as the state’s lieutenant governor, but not her long history as an advocate of abortion on demand. Most significantly, Smith is a former vice president at Planned Parenthood in Minnesota. As a leader in the state's abortion industry, she put her marketing background to work for Planned Parenthood from January 2003 to February 2006. The organization performed 9,717 abortions in Minnesota during that period, and increased its abortions by 22 percent. It was also reimbursed $458,574.74 by Minnesota taxpayers for performing 1,892 abortions on low-income women. Planned Parenthood became the largest abortion provider in the state in 2004—and has held that position ever since. It received $12.65 million in government grants from 2003 to 2005. As an executive at Planned Parenthood, Smith helped lead the organization's fierce opposition to Woman's Right to Know. Smith opposes informing women about abortion risks, complications and alternatives. As a top representative for the abortion industry, Smith strongly opposed commonsense legislation such as the Positive Alternatives Act of 2005, which provides pregnant women in need with practical assistance and life-affirming alternatives to abortion. She argued that pregnancy care centers that don't refer women for abortions should not be eligible for any state grants. That makes her a pro-abortion extremist. During Smith's tenure as Gov. Mark Dayton's chief of staff, Dayton vetoed seven different pro-life measures, including licensing of abortion facilities and protection for pain-capable unborn children. He also vetoed a bill to stop the public funding of abortions at facilities like Planned Parenthood. During Smith's three years as lieutenant governor, Dayton again dutifully vetoed bills to ban taxpayer funded abortions and to require licensing and inspection of abortion facilities, including Planned Parenthood. The Planned Parenthood Action Fund honored Smith in 2012 "for her passion and commitment to Planned Parenthood." It's clear what Tina Smith fights for: no-limits abortion, subsidized by taxpayers. And she fights against any funding of alternatives to abortion. Tina Smith is, without a doubt, the Abortion Senator.