NEWS RELEASE
Rep. Carlie Kotyza-Witthuhn
Minnesota House of Representatives
District 49B – 651-296-7449– rep.carlie.kotyza-witthuhn@house.mn.gov
5th Floor, Centennial Office Building, St. Paul, MN 55155
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CONTACT: Marlee Schlegel
651-296-9873 or marlee.schlegel@house.mn.gov
February 12, 2025
Rep. Carlie Kotyza-Witthuhn Statement on GOP “Born Alive” Bill
SAINT PAUL, Minn. - Today, the Republican-led House Health committee will hear HF24, a bill modifying current state law to require physicians to utilize life-saving measures on infants delivered alive as a result of pregnancy termination.
Rep. Carlie Kotyza-Witthuhn (DFL – Eden Prairie), author of the 2023 Protect Reproductive Options Act (PRO Act) that enshrined reproductive freedom into Minnesota state law, released the following statement.
“This bill, just like the GOP amendment proposed with this language last year, is built on the false notion that people wait until late in pregnancy to terminate unwanted pregnancies. We know this is far from the truth, but Republicans refuse to cease this dangerous narrative and are now seeking to enshrine this virtual signaling into state law.
“Let’s be clear about what this bill would do in practice: for pregnant people who do seek abortion late in pregnancy, it is because they received the worst news of their life – that their loved and wanted child will not be compatible with life. For those who seek termination upon receiving this news, this bill would prohibit the parents from holding and comforting their terminal newborn in the few moments they have before they pass. Instead, Republicans want to rob grieving parents of this by requiring physicians to exhaust all options to try to keep the child alive temporarily instead of providing comfort care like they do now, inflicting even more pain on both the child and the family on the worst day of their lives.
“This bill is nothing but cruel towards those parents, who are already suffering the greatest loss of their lives. I’ve said it before, and I always will: keep the government out of reproductive healthcare decisions. Period.”
###