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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 .

INFORMATION FOR DELEGATES: TAKE BACK MINNESOTA GOVERNOR CANDIDATE SURVEY Note: Here are updated responses of the candidates for governor to MCCL's pro-life survey . Because of you , precinct caucuses on Feb. 3 were a success for pro-lifers in Minnesota. Many new people turned out for caucuses to give a renewed voice to unborn children. We thank you! Our work is not done, though. As you know, precinct caucuses are just the first step in taking our elections back for Life. There is more to do to ensure we have candidates on the November ballot who will win our state for unborn babies, pregnant moms, and others who need our support and protection. At precinct caucuses, thousands of you were elected delegates or alternates to your local endorsing conventions . If you were one of those elected as a delegate or alternate, you should soon receive from your political party a "convention call" telling you when and where your local endorsing convention will be held. Some of you may have received it at your precinct caucus already. Watch this page for further information about your local convention, but you will have two basic duties while you are there: Vote to endorse candidates to run for vitally important state Senate and state House seats. You will have a say in choosing pro-life candidates who have what it takes to win against pro-abortion candidates in November. Vote for delegates (including yourself!) to the state political party conventions held in the last week of May. We need you and other pro-lifers there to speak out for Life! Please let us know if you’ve been elected a delegate or alternate so we can connect you with other pro-life delegates. Communicating and working together will ensure that each convention—from the local endorsing conventions to the state and congressional district conventions—is as successful as possible for Life. To report that you’re a delegate, email mccl@mccl.org with your name, mailing address, email address, and textable phone number. Together, we will organize and win in 2026 for innocent human life!

As science, technology, and medicine continue to advance, human life must be respected and protected at every stage and in every condition. STEM CELL RESEARCH + HUMAN CLONING In recent years, stem cell research and related bioethical issues have posed new ethical challenges. As science, technology, and medicine continue to advance, human life must be respected and protected at every stage and in every condition. What are stem cells? A stem cell is an unspecialized cell with two unique abilities: to become different types of cells, such as heart, blood, or nerve cells to self-renew, dividing and creating more stem cells Stem cells are found in many places throughout the body. They usually function to replace dead cells and repair damaged tissues. In young organisms (embryos), stem cells give rise to the different organs and tissues of the body as it develops. Some stem cells are multipotent , which means that they can become only a limited number of cell types—usually cells within a specific tissue type. Stem cells found in the adult body (adult stem cells) are usually multipotent. Other stem cells are pluripotent , which means that they can theoretically become all of the cells types of the body. These cells are found in young embryos (embryonic stem cells). Scientists seek to harvest stem cells in order to use them for research and medical therapies. Scientists aim to transform stem cells into the tissue types targeted by disease or injury and transplant them into patients’ bodies, where they can work to repair damaged organs and body systems. Types of stem cells Adult (or non-embryonic) stem cells (ASCs): These stem cells have traditionally been called “adult stem cells” even though they are present in both adults and children. ASCs are found in various tissues such as bone marrow, skin, and fat. They are also found in umbilical cord blood, placentas, and amniotic fluid. No harm is done to people when ASCs are extracted from them for research or therapies. Embryonic stem cells (ESCs): These cells are found in the “inner cell mass” portion of a young embryo about five days after fertilization, which is called a blastocyst. ESC researchers derive the stem cells from the embryo and culture them in the laboratory. Most embryos used for ESC research were created through in vitro fertilization (IVF) at fertility clinics and then donated for research (because they were “left over” and the parents did not want to implant them). Embryos can also be created by cloning (somatic cell nuclear transfer) specifically in order to derive their stem cells. These stem cells are sought because they would be genetically (nearly) identical to a patient. (See “Human cloning” below.) ESC research is unethical because it requires killing the embryo in order to derive the stem cells. Human ESCs were first derived at the University of Wisconsin in 1998. Stem cells from cloned human embryos were first derived by a team of Oregon scientists in 2013. Induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs): In a major breakthrough, researchers in 2007 announced that they had taken adult cells and genetically “reprogrammed” them to become pluripotent stem cells, virtually equivalent to ESCs. These induced pluripotent stem cells seem to offer the same theoretical benefits as ESCs from cloned embryos—they can be taken from a patient’s own body, so they are genetically matched to that patient—but they do not require the destruction of human embryos or human cloning. Japanese scientist Shinya Yamanaka won a Nobel Prize in 2012 for his discovery of the iPSC technique. Human cloning In 1996 Dr. Ian Wilmut famously used the cloning process called somatic cell nuclear transfer (SCNT) to create Dolly the sheep, the first adult mammal created by that method. In SCNT, the nucleus of an egg is removed and replaced with the nucleus from a somatic cell (a body cell other than an egg or sperm cell). The DNA from the somatic cell gives the egg a full complement of 46 chromosomes. The egg is then stimulated using electricity or chemicals, and, if successful, it begins dividing as a new embryo. The new organism is genetically virtually identical to the individual from whom the somatic cell was taken. After the first isolation of human ESCs in 1998, researchers envisioned using SCNT to create cloned human embryos whose ESCs could be extracted for research and therapies. By using somatic cells from patients (people suffering from diseases or conditions that stem cells might help treat), cloned embryos could be created whose stem cells would be genetically matched to those patients, possibly preventing rejection by the immune system. (See “The benefits of stem cells” below.) Human cloning offered the chance to create “patient-specific” pluripotent stem cells. Traditionally, a distinction has been made between “reproductive cloning” and “therapeutic cloning.” In reproductive cloning, the embryo created by SCNT would be implanted in a woman’s uterus with the intention that it develop toward maturity and become a fetus, infant, child, and so on. Almost everyone opposes human cloning for this purpose. On the other hand, many researchers and advocates support therapeutic cloning, in which the human embryo created by SCNT is destroyed in order to extract stem cells for research and (potentially) therapies. This is the kind of human cloning that many researchers have pursued. The only difference between the two kinds is whether the cloned embryo is allowed to grow and develop (reproductive cloning) or is killed for research (therapeutic cloning). Technical problems have hindered human “therapeutic cloning” research. One problem is that cloning requires a large number of human eggs, which must be harvested from women. This procedure poses risks to women’s health. A cloning breakthrough finally arrived in 2013 when researchers at Oregon Health & Science University announced that they had successfully isolated stem cells from cloned human embryos. But the announcement came after breakthroughs in non-controversial stem cell research—especially the creation of iPSCs, which are also patient-specific pluripotent stem cells—had made the quest for human cloning seem unnecessary. The therapeutic benefits of stem cells Embryonic stem cells have often been touted as superior to adult stem cells because they are pluripotent—they can become virtually any kind of cell—and they have a greater capacity for proliferation (they can divide almost indefinitely). But this same flexibility and rapid growth have created serious obstacles to the use of ESCs for medical therapies. ESCs tend to form tumors when transplanted, and scientists have had difficulty coaxing ESCs into the right kind of differentiated cells. ESCs may also be rejected by a patient’s immune system because they are not genetically identical to the patient. Human cloning could possibly solve the rejection problem, but the other difficulties remain. Some human clinical trials using ESCs are underway, but no successful treatments have yet been developed using embryonic stem cells. Induced pluripotent stem cells are nearly identical to ESCs, so they tend to have both the same potential advantages and the same challenges. Like stem cells from cloned embryos, however, iPSCs can genetically match a patient and possibly avoid the problem of immune rejection. Moreover, creating iPSCs seems to be easier and more efficient than deriving ESCs from either IVF- or SCNT-produced embryos. So iPSCs may offer practical advantages over research with human embryos. Adult stem cells are typically multipotent rather than pluripotent, but they have proven to be more flexible than expected. And they tend not to have the major problems that afflict ESCs. ASCs are more stable and do not form tumors, and they can be taken from a patient’s own body and then transplanted into sick or damaged tissue, avoiding the possibility of immune rejection. ASCs can also be taken from a tissue-matched donor. Adult stem cells are the only kind that has successfully treated human patients. The stem cells contained in bone marrow, for example, have been treating people who suffer from leukemia and other diseases for decades. These bone marrow transplants have saved thousands of lives. Stem cells from umbilical cord blood have also treated thousands of patients. As of 2014, more than 60,000 people worldwide each year receive adult stem cell transplants. ASCs have now been used to treat dozens of different conditions, including arthritis, diabetes, lupus, multiple sclerosis, brain cancer, breast cancer, ovarian cancer, leukemia, lymphoma, heart disease, sickle cell anemia, stroke damage, Parkinson’s disease, and spinal cord injury. (Most of these therapies are treatments, not cures, however, and many adult stem cell treatments are experimental and are not yet generally approved and available.) Funding should support adult stem cell research ASCs are currently successfully treating diseases and offer hope for many more therapies in the future. ESCs have not yet produced any proven medical treatments, but they may still be useful for studying diseases and other research. These same benefits, however, can be achieved using iPSCs, which do not require the destruction of human embryos or human cloning. Embryonic stem cell research is both unethical and simply unnecessary to realize the promise of stem cell research. The main political and public policy debate concerning stem cell research has involved its public funding. Both ESC and ASC research are currently funded by the federal government. Funding should be directed solely to ethical ASC and iPSC research, not research that requires the destruction of human life. In Minnesota, scientists at the University of Minnesota conduct stem cell research of all kinds. They should focus their efforts on ethical, effective research with ASCs and IPSCs. Additional articles: The case against embryo destruction Photo: ucsc.edu

MCCL is a pro-life presence at the State Fair, county fairs, and numerous other events such as conferences. PRO-LIFE BOOTHS + DISPLAYS 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 2026 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!

Planned Parenthood portrays itself as an indispensable provide of women's health care. But what's the reality? PLANNED PARENTHOOD: Abortion. Money. Politics. Scandal. Planned Parenthood portrays itself as an indispensable provider of women’s healthcare. But what’s the reality? Here’s what everyone needs to know about Planned Parenthood Planned Parenthood and Abortion Planned Parenthood performed a record-high 402,230 abortions in 2023, according to the group’s 2023-2024 annual report . That makes Planned Parenthood, by far, the leading practitioner of abortion in the United States. In recent years, the annual abortion total at Planned Parenthood has increased even when overall abortions in the country have trended downward. Most of Planned Parenthood’s other services, by contrast, have consistently declined. Contraceptive services have dropped nearly 40 percent since 2010 . Cancer screenings (mostly manual breast exams and pap tests) have dropped 73 percent. “Prenatal services” (which were always very rare) have plummeted 77 percent. “Total services” provided by Planned Parenthood are down 14 percent. Among the three pregnancy-related services Planned Parenthood provides women who are already pregnant (abortion, adoption referral, prenatal services), abortion accounts for 98 percent. For every one adoption referral, Planned Parenthood performs 187 abortions. The group is 57 times more likely to perform an abortion than to provide any prenatal care. Planned Parenthood and Money Planned Parenthood took in $2.026 billion in revenue during the fiscal year ending June 30, 2023. That’s a 93 percent rise since 2010 —even as the organization has provided fewer services. Planned Parenthood’s revenue consistently exceeds its expenses by tens of millions of dollars (and sometimes more)—the difference was $27.4 million in the last fiscal year alone. In the year ending June 2023, Planned Parenthood received $792.2 million in government reimbursements and grants. Although federal dollars are not supposed to directly fund abortion (except in rare cases), the money Planned Parenthood receives is fungible and serves to support its abortion activities. Moreover, some states, including Minnesota, directly reimburse Planned Parenthood and other abortion centers for elective abortions through their Medicaid programs. Planned Parenthood and Politics Planned Parenthood’s political arms oppose any restrictions on abortion considered by Congress, state legislatures, and the courts. Planned Parenthood opposes limits on late abortions, partial-birth and dismemberment abortions, and taxpayer funding of abortions. It opposes parental involvement (for minors) and informed consent requirements before women undergo abortion. It opposes licensing and inspection of abortion facilities. And—perhaps most of all—it opposes any reduction of its own taxpayer funding. Planned Parenthood also spends heavily to elect candidates to office who favor unlimited abortion and support funding for Planned Parenthood. Planned Parenthood has become, as the Washington Post reports , “a powerful political juggernaut.” Planned Parenthood and Scandal Abortion isn’t the only reason that Planned Parenthood is controversial. Some former employees, for example, have filed whistleblower lawsuits alleging fraud, and many audits have found Planned Parenthood facilities overbilling the government . A 2018 investigation found numerous cases of Planned Parenthood failing to report child sexual abuse. And sting videos show Planned Parenthood executives discussing the harvesting of fetal body parts (such as liver and brain) in exchange for compensation from outside companies. Planned Parenthood and Minnesota Planned Parenthood North Central States (PPNCS), the regional Planned Parenthood affiliate, operates the state’s largest abortion facility in St. Paul and four other Minnesota centers that offer chemical abortions. Planned Parenthood performed a record-high 7,533 abortions in Minnesota in 2023, according to the Minnesota Department of Health —nearly five times that of the state’s next highest practitioner. Contrary to state and national abortion trends, abortions at Planned Parenthood in Minnesota have consistently gone up. As the overall state abortion total decreased 18 percent from 2009 to 2021, Planned Parenthood increased its abortions by 79 percent. In 2009, the organization performed 32 percent of Minnesota abortions; 12 years later, it performed 70 percent. Planned Parenthood benefits from Minnesota’s policy of Medicaid-funded abortion, which allows the group to offer “free” (state-funded) abortions to low-income women. Planned Parenthood billed Minnesota taxpayers a record-high $773,459 for a record-high 3,643 abortions in 2021, according to the Minnesota Department of Human Services . Planned Parenthood increased its tax-funded abortions by 321 percent between 2011 and 2021. Planned Parenthood and Women’s Health Planned Parenthood claims that it is essential to women’s health. But it provides a very limited range of actual health services. Better alternatives are available for women who need care. Federally qualified health centers, unlike Planned Parenthood, provide comprehensive health care to low-income women and men. They also outnumber Planned Parenthood clinics by approximately 15-to-1 . If women’s health care (rather than abortion) is a priority of government, then public funding should be redirected from Planned Parenthood to these full-service health centers. That’s what federal proposals to defund Planned Parenthood have sought to do. For women facing unexpected and challenging pregnancies, pregnancy resource centers provide practical support and assistance. Unlike Planned Parenthood, they offer women positive alternatives to abortion. And they greatly outnumber Planned Parenthood facilities both in Minnesota and nationwide.

MCCL is Minnesota's oldest and largest pro-life organization. We work to secure protection for innocent human life from conception until natural death through education, legislation, and political action.

Minnesota's trusted source for pro-life news and information about abortion, euthanasia, and infanticide. MCCL NEWS MCCL NEWS is a bi-monthly newspaper that keeps MCCL members informed of pro-life news, MCCL events and programs, current pro-life legislation, and much more. On this page recent issues are posted. The latest: April-June 2026 Other recent issues: January-March 2026 October-December 2025 July-September 2025

Minnesota’s law against asisted suicide has been challenged over the last few years—both in court and in the Legislature. ASSISTED SUICIDE IN MINNESOTA 2016 MN Senate assisted suicide bill hearing Minnesota law currently prohibits assisted suicide —when one person assists in the suicide of another, such as a doctor prescribing a lethal overdose of medication. Our law, which dates to 1963 but was clarified and tightened in 1992, provides criminal penalties for anyone who “intentionally advises, encourages or assists another in taking the other’s own life” (Minnesota Statutes section 609.215, subdivision 1). Although the state Supreme Court ruled in 2014 that “advising” or “encouraging” suicide is protected speech under the First Amendment, the prohibition on “assisting” suicide remains in place. But Minnesota’s protective law has been challenged over the last few years—both in court and in the Legislature. Assisted suicide court cases Two recent Minnesota court cases have concerned assisted suicide. The first case involved William Melchert-Dinkel of Faribault, who was convicted in 2014 of assisting the suicide of a British man and attempting to assist in the suicide of a Canadian woman. He served six months in prison. Melchert-Dinkel sought out people with depression online and tried to manipulate them into killing themselves. Posing as a compassionate, suicidal female nurse, he entered into fake suicide pacts with his victims and provided them with key information about how to take their own lives. He urged them to set up a webcam so that he could watch. He says he made about 10 suicide pacts and believes five of the people he targeted actually killed themselves. Melchert-Dinkel was originally convicted in 2011 under Minnesota’s law against assisted suicide. But in 2014 the Supreme Court struck down the “advising” and “encouraging” provisions of the law. The case was then remanded to the lower court to determine whether Melchert-Dinkel “assisted” in suicide. He was convicted again on Sept. 9, 2014, and finally sentenced on Oct. 15. The second court case involves Final Exit Network (FEN), an assisted suicide advocacy group that actively helps people take their own lives. FEN was convicted and fined in 2015 for breaking Minnesota’s law against assisted suicide. Members of FEN had flown to Minnesota and facilitated the suicide of a depressed Apple Valley woman using helium and a plastic bag. Final Exit appealed the conviction, aiming to defeat Minnesota’s protective law in court, but the Minnesota Court of Appeals upheld the conviction in 2016. Assisted suicide legislation As part of a recent wave of assisted suicide efforts initiated by the group Compassion and Choices, legislation was introduced in Minnesota in 2016 to legalize assisted suicide. The bill (S.F. 1880), authored by Sen. Chris Eaton, DFL-Brooklyn Center, would have authorized doctors to prescribe lethal doses of medication for patients to intentionally end their own lives. The Senate Health, Human Services and Housing committee took up the bill on March 16, 2016. The hearing stretched more than two hours until Eaton abruptly decided to pull the bill from consideration because it did not have enough support to pass. The committee first heard testimony from Dan Diaz, husband of the late Brittany Maynard, the California woman whose heavily publicized death by assisted suicide helped spark the recent nationwide campaign for legalization. But more than 100 opponents of the bill attended the hearing, and 17 different people—physicians, nurses, professors, attorneys, and disability rights advocates—testified against it. They effectively made the case that assisted suicide threatens the lives of vulnerable people. “We have an obligation to the terminally ill and their loved ones. But this bill will not help that cause,” testified Thomas Nobrega, M.D., a St. Paul cardiologist. “This bill is about giving a patient the means to die by a drug overdose. It creates an irreconcilable conflict between the doctor as a compassionate guide and healer, and the motivation to expedite death.” Kathy Ware, R.N., is a disability advocate and mother of a son with disabilities. “People wouldn’t pursue assisted suicide if they had the help and care they needed for their loved one,” she told the committee. “We in the disability community are not asking for pity. We want help and we want to be treated with value.” Elizabeth Bakewicz, who suffers from terminal brain cancer, begged the committee members to reject assisted suicide. “Under this bill I am treated as nothing but a list of burdens. But I am a human being,” she said. Despite the failure of the bill, the threat of assisted suicide in Minnesota remains. Legislation to legalize assisted suicide will likely be introduced again in the future. Minnesotans Against Assisted Suicide (MNAAS) , a project of MCCL, is a coalition created to oppose the legalization of assisted suicide in Minnesota. More information is available on the MNAAS website . Related articles: Euthanasia and assisted suicide The case against assisted suicide

MNAAS is an effort to bring together opponents of assisted suicide in Minnesota and make the case that legislation to legalize assisted suicide is dangerous. MINNESOTANS AGAINST ASSISTED SUICIDE Minnesotans Against Assisted Suicide (MNAAS) is an effort to bring together opponents of assisted suicide in Minnesota. MNAAS makes the case that legislation to legalize assisted suicide is dangerous and a prescription for abuse , and it must be defeated. MNAAS is an outreach effort of MCCL. Resources on assisted suicide are available on the MNAAS website . The 2016 bill to legalize assisted suicide was heard by a Senate committee

MCCL's pro-life events include the March for Life, Student Day, Life Leadership Camp, 87 county fair booths, Fall Tour, and more. EVENTS + PROGRAMS Click below to learn about MCCL's various events and programs. March for Life : This annual event at the state Capitol marks the anniversary of the tragic Roe v. Wade decision. Legislative Dinner : MCCL's biannual dinner brings together lawmakers and their pro-life constituents for an evening of pro-life education. Save the 12,000 : MCCL offers pro-life presentations to equip and empower pro-life citizens in cities and towns all across the state. Booths and displays : MCCL has an educational presence at county fairs, the State Fair, and many other events. Youth programs : MCCL's youth outreach includes Student Day , Life Leadership Camp , and the Essay and Oratory Contests . Mother’s Day : Each year MCCL holds its Mother's Day Corsage Project, and also provides Mother's Day buttons and ads. Father’s Day : MCCL's Father's Day ads and buttons aim to recognize the importance of fathers. Speaking presentations : MCCL gives pro-life presentations at schools, churches, and other venues. Hispanos Por La Vida : This is MCCL's outreach to the Spanish-speaking community. Minnesotans Against Assisted Suicide : This program is a coalition created to oppose the legalization of assisted suicide in Minnesota. Global Outreach : MCCL's Global Outreach program is accredited with the United Nations and works to defend life at the international level.

Held every two years at the start of the legislative biennium, we bring together state legislators and their pro-life constituents. Update: Thanks to all who helped make the 2025 MCCL Legislative Dinner a huge success! The MCCL Legislative Dinner, which is held every other year at the start of the legislative biennium, brings together state lawmakers and their pro-life constituents for an evening of pro-life fellowship and education, especially about legislative matters. This year’s event comes in the wake of extreme new pro-abortion laws in Minnesota, including the repeal of protection for born-alive infants. How can we restore respect for human life in our state? We’ll hear from Sarah Zagorski Jones, who survived an abortion and now advocates for the lives of babies who are at risk like she was. We’ll also benefit from the expertise of Mary Kellett, executive director of Prenatal Partners for Life, who will tell her story of fighting for the life of her newborn baby with disabilities. You won’t want to miss what these women have to share with us. The 2025 Legislative Dinner will be held Tuesday, March 4, at the historic Landmark Center in downtown St. Paul (75 W. Fifth St.). The evening program will begin with a social hour at 6:00 p.m., followed by a served dinner at 7:00 p.m. in the Musser Cortile grand indoor courtyard. Dinner attire is recommended. The cost to attend is $60 (or $50 if registered before Feb. 15) and $25 for students. MCCL invites all Minnesota state senators and representatives to attend this event. It is also important that pro-life citizens attend in order to meet their lawmakers and encourage them to support pro-life legislation. Seating is limited, and pre-paid registrations are required. (Note: If the registration page does not load properly, please contact MCCL at 612-825-6831 to register.)