Abortion

Minnesota Lawmakers Vote Down Clinic Inspections Amendment

The amendment to the Minnesota Health and Human Services omnibus bill was defeated in the state senate by a 32-29 vote, mostly along partisan lines, with four anti-choice Democrats joining Republicans in supporting the measure.

The amendment to the Minnesota Health and Human Services omnibus bill was defeated in the state senate by a 32-29 vote, mostly along partisan lines, with four anti-choice Democrats joining Republicans in supporting the measure. Shutterstock

Minnesota legislators voted down an amendment last week that would have required increased inspection and licensing requirements for clinics that provide abortion services, increasingly common regulations passed by GOP-dominated state legislatures.

An amendment sponsored by Sen. Michelle Fischbach (R-Paynesville) to the Minnesota Health and Human Services omnibus bill was defeated in the state senate by a 32-29 vote, mostly along partisan lines, with four anti-choice Democrats joining Republicans in supporting the measure.

Democrats hold a 38-29 majority in the Minnesota Senate.

The amendment would have subjected abortion clinics to biannual inspections that would occur without any prior notice, along with licensing fees exceeding $10,000 for clinics that provide ten or more abortions per month.

The language of the amendment is similar to Minnesota’s HF 606, sponsored by Rep. Debra Kiel (R-Crookston), which has been passed by committee and awaits further action by the full house.

Opponents of the legislation like Sen. Tony Lourey (D-Kerrick) argued that the new regulations would wrongly single out abortion clinics, while supporters like Sen. Michelle Benson (R-Ham Lake) said that abortion clinics should be held to a higher standard, reported the Associated Press.

Several anti-choice bills have been filed this year in the Minnesota legislature, many of which are targeted regulations of abortion providers (TRAP) bills that single out abortion clinics with burdensome regulations.

Only one anti-choice bill, HF 606, has gained any traction in the house in 2015, despite a 72-62 GOP majority.