Last weekend, Senate Democrats brought forward an extreme abortion bill that legalizes all abortions without limitations and safeguards. This bill, SF-1, was the Democrats’ top priority heading into a budget year. Senate Republicans spent over 16 hours on the floor, offering commonsense amendments that protect both babies and mothers. Every single amendment was struck down by Democrats on a party line vote. Even worse, Democrats completely disengaged from the discussion, at one point refusing to yield for questions or to debate the merits of our amendments. It was a shame to see the spirit of debate crumble on such an important topic.

Though the content of the bill was shocking, it was even more troubling that such a sensitive topic was boiled down to a one-page bill. Democrats claimed that this bill protects “abortion” and “reproductive rights,” terms this bill did little to even define. Its supporters also claimed it was meant to codify Doe v. Gomez and Roe v. Wade. The fact of the matter is that this bill goes above and beyond the scope of both cases, expanding abortion without any guardrails in place, and now allowing abortions up until birth.

This bill’s drastic overreach does not reflect the values of our state. This bill does more than codify a right to an abortion—it legalizes abortions with no viability limits, requires no parental consent or notification, and opens up the possibility of sterilizations and sex changes for minors. There are so many awful things in this bill that go drastically beyond both Doe and Roe. Most pro-choice Minnesotans are on board with sensible guardrails that make abortion safe, legal, and rare, yet this bill undermines those goals and makes abortion a total free-for-all.

Senate Republicans spent hours offering a number of amendments to bring this bill back to reality. We tried to offer a commonsense ban on third trimester abortions, which most Minnesotans support. We tried to ensure abortions could not be done due to dissatisfaction with the sex of the baby. We even tried to pass a basic amendment that simply required the licensing of an abortion facility. Shockingly, they were all struck down—every single one. A 16-year-old is required to get parental consent for using a tanning bed or getting their ears pierced, yet under this bill, a 12-year-old can get an abortion, sex change, or sterilization treatment without parental notification or consent.

A group of bicameral legislators reached out to the Governor and requested him to not sign this bill—instead asking for it to be sent back to the Legislature so that commonsense safeguards can be properly debated. I’m sad to say the Governor instead opted to sign into law the most extreme abortion bill in the country. Again, this bill was pushed through committees rapidly, and Democrats did not take a single amendment. I’m disappointed that Democrats were unwilling to compromise on a topic that touches so many lives. Legislators are sent to the Capitol to advocate on behalf of their constituents, and Democrats have effectively muted half the state’s voice by eliminating all debate on this topic. Senate Democrats undermined the legislative process with this bill—they forced it through on multiple party line votes, accepted zero common sense amendments, and refused to debate the bill’s merits. In Minnesota, abortions will no longer be “safe, legal, and rare,” but instead will be dangerous, common, and fully accessible up until birth. This bill does not represent the interests of Minnesota.