Senate Minority Leader Mark Johnson (R-East Grand Forks) released the following statement on the passage of House File 1 from the Senate early Saturday morning:  

“Today we are not codifying Roe v. Wade or Doe v. Gomez, we are enacting the most extreme bill in the country regarding youth sterilization, late-term abortions, and public liability for a vast array of reproductive services. All this with just a one-seat majority. A casual observer would think Minnesota voters gave democrats a significant majority and mandate to ram through radical and extreme legislation that will fundamentally change the lives of everyday Minnesotans.   

“Today Minnesota Senate Republicans demonstrated, through a series of good faith amendments, the significant and devastating shortcomings of this bill. I’m very disappointed our amendments to restrict late-term, saline, and dismemberment abortions, protect minors from dangerous abusers, and defend the lives of babies with Down syndrome were all rejected by every Democrat in the Senate. It really is the most extreme abortion bill, not just in the state, but in the world.” 

The bill was passed on party lines, 34-33. Senate Republicans offered a number of critical amendments—all of which were struck down on party-line votes, and many of which were not deemed worthy of discussion by the majority party. Key amendments that were offered include:

• Ban on third trimester abortions 
• Prohibition of the violent Dilation and Evacuation (D&E) abortions 
• Language that would have excluded sterilization from the umbrella of “reproductive rights” 
• Requirement of parental notification 
• Language that would have prevented the sterilization of minors  
• Prohibition of abortions due to down syndrome