Essay
Lorelei Macon Model Legislature 2026 Pro and Con Essay Bill: HF0025/SF1650
Pro: HF0025 is appropriating $4 million per year, for the fiscal years of 2026 and 2027, from the general fund. Per year, $3 million are appropriated for women’s pregnancy centers, and the remaining $1 million for maternity homes, (16.31). These services are aimed to support women in crisis, women homeless or at risk of being, and women considering abortion. Line 2.16 states that these funds mustn't go to supporting abortions, referring abortion, or providing abortions. Instead, these pregnancy centers and maternity homes help with all stages of the pregnancy and delivery, support the child and mother after birth, and help set them up for a more stable life. There are around 90 non-abortion-providing crisis centers in the state of Minnesota, according to MPR News. The 2023 Protect Reproductive Options (Pro) Act (HF1), abortion is now legal in Minnesota with no restrictions. Many women do this out of fear of not being ready to have a child, not being able to care for that child, or not wanting to undergo birth. It is very important to understand that this bill does not change anything about the legal status of abortion in Minnesota. This bill is only appropriating money to help support women and children in hard circumstances. There is nothing stopping them from still getting an abortion, this is just adding more support and resources for the family. If it is truly “My Body, My Choice”, then let's give them the choice of life.
Con: People may not support this bill because they see it as limiting women’s access to abortion. This bill in no way hinders the legal status of abortion in Minnesota, nor makes it any harder to access. This bill is simply providing more care for the over 83% of mothers who choose not to abort. A lot of women may feel pressured into an abortion because of how coveted it is by society and especially the State of Minnesota, or their family and friends. This bill allows the heavily pro-abortion mindset of our society to have less sway in their decision if they know that they have other options and the support of so many people who love them and their child.
The following statistics are according to March of Dimes
10% of mothers giving birth in Minnesota don’t have any, or the proper care they and their child need.
44% of mothers experience a barrier to care in Minnesota
7.5% percent of Minnesota mothers don’t receive any postpartum care
About 20% of Minnesota counties are defined as “maternity care deserts”
95% of the 32 pregnancy-related mother deaths per year, (MN Government Website), are preventable with the right care. That's 30 more lives that could be saved.
According to the Lozier Institute less than 13% of mothers in Minnesota get abortion per year. This bill aims to help support all mothers and children, but especially the over 83% that don’t abort, and still need care.
The Positive Alternatives Act gave these exact clinics $3 million per year, this bill is simply raising that number for the benefit of the children and mothers.
An example of a women’s pregnancy health care clinic in Minnesota that this bill would be supporting is First Choice clinic in Red Wing Minnesota. While these organizations are not under the same laws as hospitals that require reporting the number of visits per year, First Choice reports to serve hundreds of families per year. Multiply only 100 by the around 90 similar clinics in Minnesota and at least 9,000 families are being helped by these services. The recent extreme decrease in state financial support and service limiting laws has caused significant hardships for these clinics. Bill #HF0025 is simply trying to support these non-profits and the mothers and children of Minnesota.
Unused:
A 16 year old girl needs her parents to sign a permission slip to go on a field trip, but they don’t even have to know if she gets an abortion while going into labor, about to give birth. Even if the child is healthy, the mother is healthy, and the birth would go well, there is nothing protecting that child from a last minute, stressed decision of any mother.