Senate Republicans have included a provision in a health and human services omnibus bill that would repeal Minnesota’s minors’ consent laws. Those laws, first enacted in 1971, allow Minnesotans under the age of 18 to access mental and physical health care, as well as substance use care. The bill would strip those laws from the books and only allow a minor to seek those services in the case of incest. The Minnesota Department of Health, the Mayo Clinic, the American Academy of Pediatrics and teen pregnancy prevention groups all testified in opposition.

The debate over minors’ consent has typically been over abortion. Anti-abortion rights groups have been attacking such laws through legislation and lawsuits over much of the past decade. Minnesota’s neighboring states allow minors’ consent for testing for sexually transmitted diseases, but not for birth control. If the proposed bill became law, it would be one of the most restrictive in the country.

The bill was supported by the Minnesota Family Council, whose president, Tom Prichard, testified at Friday morning’s Senate judiciary committee meeting. He blamed the law for a rise in sexually transmitted infections, depression and drug use.

“Kids aren’t happier,” he said. “We believe that isolating minors from the parents isn’t making things better. These are enormous life-changing issues.”

But it was physicians who noted that the law serves to protect adolescents.

Dr. Ann Edwards, a pediatrician speaking on behalf of the American Academy of Pediatrics, said that minors’ consent removes potential barriers to medical care.

She told the story of a teen whose stepfather had been raping her and had concerns that that teen would have trouble seeking resources without her parents knowing.

“All our children deserve the very best,” she said. “I must urge you not to pass Senate file 1017.”

Dr. Patricia Simmons, on behalf of the Mayo Clinic, agreed. “We don’t want to do anything that discourages adolescents from getting help.”

Simmons said that health care workers have an obligation to encourage teens to involve their parents in medical matters. In every instance she knew of in her practice teens have heeded that advice and brought their parents into the discussion, she said.

Brigid Riley of the Minnesota Organization on Adolescent Pregnancy, Prevention and Parenting said the law has been an important tool for the state. “The statute has helped Minnesota achieve the lowest teen pregnancy rate on record, and it’s been an important tool for medical providers for four decades now.”

She added, “The statute allows a health care provider to provide care confidentially, but it doesn’t require them to.”

However, Republican Sen. David Hann, (R-Eden Prairie),  the bill’s author, said when his teen child was going through a rough time, he was not allowed access to his child’s records.

“What this really is about is that there should be a presumption that parents make decisions for their minor child,” he said.

DFL Sen. Barb Goodwin of Columbia Heights, who has worked in childrens’ mental health services, said repealing the law could have dangerous consequences. “If we are going to pass anything that is going to create an issue where even one child’s life is gone because they wouldn’t get the help they needed, I think that’s wrong.”

The bill passed the committee along party lines on Friday. A version of the bill has been included in the Health and Human Services omnibus bill.

Members of the Republican leadership in the Minnesota Senate have introduced legislation to ban state funding for abortions, just weeks after saying that creating jobs and fixing the budget deficit would be the party’s top priorities. The bill was offered on the eve of Minnesota Citizens Concerned For Life’s (MCCL) March for Life at the State Capitol grounds.

The bill, SF103, states, “Funding for state-sponsored health programs shall not be used for funding abortions, except to the extent necessary for continued participation in a federal program.”

The legislation is a reaction to a 1995 Minnesota Supreme Court case, Doe v. Gomez, which said that if the state offers pregnancy services to low-income women it cannot discriminate between which procedures it offers, and the bill anticipates a constitutional challenge.

“If any one or more provision, section, subdivision, sentence, clause, phrase, or word of this section or the application of it to any person or circumstance is found to be unconstitutional,” the bill reads, “it is declared to be severable and the balance of this section shall remain effective notwithstanding such unconstitutionality.”

MCCL, the state’s largest anti-abortion group has been sharply critical of the 1995 ruling. “The Doe v. Gomez ruling by a handful of extremist judges has been disastrous for Minnesota women and their babies,” Scott Fischbach, MCCL’s executive director, said in a statement.

Fischbach’s wife, Sen. Michele Fischbach of Paynesville, is President of the Senate and cosponsor of the bill. Another GOP leader, Majority Leader Amy Koch, has signed on to cosponsor the bill, a move that contrasts her previous statements about making jobs a priority.

“There’s a lot of important issues and we will get to them. But the priority now is the budget, jobs, and the economy,” Koch told MPR just before the legislative session started.

Sen. David Hann of Eden Prairie, who serves as Assistant Majority Leader and chair of the Health and Human Services Committee, is also a cosponsor of the bill. It has been referred to his committee.

The other sponsors of the bill are freshman Sen. Dave Thompson, R-Lakeville, and Sen. Claire Robling, R-Jordan, who is also chair of the Finance Committee.

Reproductive rights groups assailed the introduction of the bill.

“Minnesotans know that we have different views on issues like abortion, and even though we may not agree on all points, our state Constitution has made sure all women have had the right to choose for more than 15 years,” said Linnea House, executive director of NARAL Pro-Choice Minnesota. “The anti-choice lawmakers want to focus on this issue at the expense of our state’s other priorities. They are overstepping in trying to force an anti-choice agenda that weakens our state’s Constitution. The budget crisis is critical, which makes it even more unbelievable that some lawmakers are attacking choice.”

She added, “Making the option of abortion accessible to all women did not create a budget crisis. In fact, this is a distraction from the state’s priorities.”

The bill’s Friday introduction was timed to precede Saturday’s March for Life, an MCCL event that brings about a 1,000 people to the Capitol to rally against abortion each year.

Saturday’s event drew the support of Minnesota’s Republican members of Congress as well as DFL Rep. Collin Peterson.

Rep. John Kline told the crowd that health reform legislation contained taxpayer funding for abortion. “You know that that awful legislation has language allowing taxpayer funding of abortion,” he said.

Despite Kline’s claim, independent fact-checkers, including FactCheck.org and Politifact, have frequently ruled “false” the that statement health care reform would pay for abortions.

Rep. Erik Paulsen said, “There is nothing more important than life,” while Rep. Michele Bachmann told the crowd, “We
can zero out that checking account with the stroke of a pen!” Rep. Chip Cravaack said, “This is just the start of a year dedicated to promoting and protecting a culture of life.”

Rep. Collin Peterson sent a written greeting to the rally. “I look forward to working with you over the next year as we continue to protect life for all human beings,” he said.

None of the SD42 GOP officials contacted by the Minnesota Independent — Sen. David Hann, Rep. Jenifer Loon and Eden Prairie Mayor Phil Young (all referenced on the GOP site) — responded to queries about the appropriateness of the poll’s language, and email addresses for SD42 GOP officers returned bounceback errors.

Update: Rep. Loon: GOP immigration poll language ‘regrettable, inappropriate’

Currently, the survey shows opinions roughly divided among two “yes” answers. Yesterday, popular science blogger P,Z, Myers brought attention to the poll. Of the original poll answers, Myers wrote, “They really need to add a cute little icon of the Frito Bandito to that, just to add a little more class.”

Minnesota Capitol. Photo: Wikipedia

Senate Republicans introduced a constitutional amendment Wednesday that would make Minnesota the first state to require a two-thirds majority vote in the legislature to approve federal laws affecting the state. “Minnesotans enjoy inherent, natural, God-given rights,” the bill states, and “Citizens of Minnesota are sovereign individuals, subject to Minnesota law and immune from any federal laws that exceed the federal government’s enumerated constitutional powers.”

The bill was introduced by state Sens. Mike Parry of Waseca, Bill Ingebrigtsen of Alexandria, and David Hann of Eden Prairie, and is a companion to a House bill introduced by Reps. Steve Drazkowski of Mazeppa, Bruce Anderson of Buffalo, and Tom Emmer of Delano last month.

Emmer has also authored a resolution that would lay claim to Minnesota’s sovereignty: “[T]he State of Minnesota hereby claims sovereignty under the Tenth Amendment to the Constitution.”

The bills are part of a larger conservative push, following the election of President Barack Obama, to give states power to reject federal policies. Seven red states passed Tenth Amendment resolutions following Obama’s inauguration: Alaska, Idaho, North Dakota, South Dakota, Oklahoma, Louisiana and Tennessee. Five others have passed a resolution since health care reform passed: Alabama, Kansas, South Carolina, Utah and Wyoming.

While Republicans in several states have proposed similar legislation, Minnesota’s bills would be the first to include legislative action — the two-thirds vote requirement — against the federal government.

Republicans in Minnesota’s 5th Congressional District have gone even further: they recently passed a resolution calling for Minnesota to secede from union if the federal government exceeds its authority.

Here’s the full text of the bill introduced on Wednesday:

Section 1. CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENT PROPOSED.

An amendment to the Minnesota Constitution is proposed to the people. If the amendment is adopted, a section shall be added to article I, to read:

Sec. 18. Citizens of Minnesota are sovereign individuals, subject to Minnesota law and immune from any federal laws that exceed the federal government’s enumerated constitutional powers. A federal law does not apply in Minnesota unless that law is approved by a two-thirds vote of the members of each house of the legislature and is signed by the governor. Before voting to approve a federal law, each legislator must individually affirm that the legislator has read the federal law and understands it. Citizens of Minnesota enjoy inherent, natural, God-given rights as reflected in the Bill of Rights of the United States Constitution and the Minnesota Constitution. Minnesota citizens have the right to seek redress for any alleged violation of these rights committed by the state of Minnesota exclusively through a jury trial in a Minnesota court and through enactment of a change in Minnesota law.

1.19 Sec. 2. SUBMISSION TO VOTERS.
The proposed amendment must be submitted to the people at the 2010 general election. The question submitted must be: “Shall the Minnesota Constitution be amended to affirm the sovereignty of Minnesota citizens by requiring two-thirds legislative approval before a federal law becomes effective in Minnesota, and by ensuring the right of citizens to seek redress for any alleged violation of constitutional rights?

“It just didn’t look very likely that we would be able to make sufficient progress,” Hann said.

Politics in Minnesota points out that Hann could very well have a race on his hands to keep his Senate seat, noting that his Eden Prairie district has been trending toward the DFL in recent years and voted for Obama in 2008.

Hann said he hadn’t made a decision about who he’ll support for the Republican  gubernatorial ticket for governor, and both frontrunners, Tom Emmer and Marty Seifert, offered praise for Hann following his announcement.

Tom Emmer:

Senator Hann raised the level of debate in this race considerably. He articulates the conservative message in a manner that voters can understand better than almost anyone in our party. I am glad he’s running for reelection to the Senate so this voice won’t be lost.

Marty Seifert:

“There has been no stronger voice for our core conservative principles than Senator David Hann.
David’s first-rate intellect and deep understanding of policy issues is unmatched in the legislature. David has been a champion for meaningful education reform in Minnesota – there is no greater expert on education policy. David is proof that Republicans win in swing districts when we stick to our principles.

I have admired David’s courage on the campaign trail in expressing his values – pro-life, pro-family, and faith in God. David understands that the building blocks of a strong community are faith, family, and education – a sentiment I share. I wish David all the best and look forward to working with him in the future.”

State Sen. Mike Jungbauer

No Republican contenders in the 2010 gubernatorial contest — except environmental activist Leslie Davis — believe in global warming, according to a report from Minnesota Public Radio. Perhaps most strident is state Sen. Mike Jungbauer (East Bethel), who told attendees at a recent State Fair debate that global warming is “pure, unadulterated BS.”

While the other GOP contenders were less colorful in their declarations, none would own up to believing that climate change owing to human activity is a credible, significant issue. House Minority Leader Marty Seifert (Marshall) declared such concerns to be “theoretical.” Rep. David Hann (Eden Prairie) labeled global warming an “excuse” to shift towards alternative energy sources.

Their stance is in contrast to current Gov. Tim Pawlenty — as well as mainstream scientific opinion.

There is, however, one Republican gubernatorial hopeful who acknowledges the validity of global warming: Leslie Davis, a perennial candidate and environmental activist. He’s highly unlikely to end up being the party’s nominee.

For a full roster of declared and possible candidates, check out Paul Demko’s look at GOP, DFL and third-party candidates.

Gov. Tim Pawlenty’s announcement earlier this month that he will not seek a third term has unleashed a political gold rush among Republican politicians in the state. Minnesota’s current political landscape includes an eye-popping 18 declared and possible gubernatorial contenders. With the list of Democratic contenders also reaching well into double digits, it promises to be one of the most wide-open gubernatorial campaigns in decades.

And if the slate of Democratic candidates was difficult to assess, the outlook for the GOP contenders is even more difficult to size up. With Pawlenty dominating the state party over the last six years, and the Republicans out of leadership in both legislative bodies since 2006, there are few household names in the bunch. In addition, the candidate that many political observers thought to be the odds-on favorite — businessman Brian Sullivan, who narrowly lost the GOP nomination to Pawlenty in 2002 — has announced that he’ll be sitting this contest out.

The Republicans’ endorsing convention is not until at least May of next year and by then the list of challengers will have undoubtedly been whittled down significantly. With Democrats holding all the down-ballot statewide posts, some of these contenders will likely turn their attention to those offices. But here’s a look at the emerging field for 2010.

Definitely in: Former Minnesota State Auditor Pat Anderson, former state Rep. Bill Haas, state Rep. Paul Kohls and House Minority Leader Marty Seifert.

Rep. Marty Seifert

Pat Anderson

Anderson and Seifert probably start out with better name recognition than any of the other contenders in the GOP field. The former is the only gubernatorial candidate to have previously won a statewide contest, but failed in her re-election bid for state auditor in 2006 in a tough year for the GOP. She’s since landed at the Minnesota Free Market Institute.

Anderson sees a change in the GOP base that has its roots in the 2006 Ron Paul presidential campaign, and that will influence the endorsement process. “It is a true libertarian Republican movement, and they’re changing the party,” she said in an interview. “There’s less discussion about social issues and more discussion about the Constitution.”

Seifert is still a relatively fresh face at age 37, but has more than a decade of experience at the state legislature, including two sessions as House minority leader. The Republican from Marshall earned notice for his cool-headed, if often caustic, opposition to the DFL majority.

Rep. Paul Kohls

Kohls is also among a cadre of prominent, young GOP legislators seeking to emerge as a statewide leader of the party. The Republican from Victoria figures Sullivan’s decision to stay on the sideline has made the race even more wide open. But he still believes the field will be winnowed down before next year’s state convention.

“I fully expect that some people will get in and not be able to raise money or generate support and will quickly get out,” he said. “I don’t think people can defer starting to raise money very long because it’s going to take some money just to put an organization together and get started.”

Former Rep. Bill Haas

Haas brings an impressive resume — 10 years in the legislature; two terms as mayor of Champlin — but has been out of the political spotlight for three years. He’ll need to ramp up his name recognition if he hopes to be a factor, but believes his status as something of an outsider could be a positive with voters. Haas said in an interview that he made the decision to run more than a year ago, dependent on whether Pawlenty bowed out.

“I’ve been watching the process and staying informed,” he said of the goings-on at the Capitol. “Minnesota is really sitting at a point now where we need to grow the economy. The backbone of our economy is small business owners and they’re hurting.”

Likely in: State Reps. Laura Brod and Morrie Lanning, state Sens. David Hann, Paul Koering and Geoff Michel, former House Majority Leader Speaker of the House Steve Sviggum and former Pawlenty Chief of Staff Charlie Weaver.

Sen. Steve Sviggum

Of this group Sviggum and Weaver are probably the best-known commodities. The former served as House Majority Leader Speaker of the House when Republicans controlled the house and has since joined the Pawlenty administration as commissioner of the Minnesota Department of Labor and Industry. The Kenyon Republican hasn’t officially entered the gubernatorial fray, but he’s made his interest no secret.

“I’ll do a little exploration, talk to some friends and some family over the next few days or a couple of weeks and see where it leads us,” Sviggum told Minnesota Public Radio earlier this month.

Charlie Weaver

Weaver also brings experience at multiple levels of state government. He spent almost a decade at the Capitol as a legislator, before unsuccessfully running for attorney general. Weaver then went on to serve as commissioner of the Minnesota Department of Public Safety during Jesse Ventura’s administration and as Pawlenty’s chief of staff. Currently he heads the Minnesota Business Partnership. Weaver isn’t quelling speculation that he’ll run.

“I am considering and will spend the summer looking at it very seriously,” he said. “No. 1, obviously, is my wife has to say ‘yes.’”

Weaver says the ability to raise large amounts of money will be important, noting that two prominent Democratic candidates, Matt Entenza and Mark Dayton, can utilize significant personal wealth in the contest.

Rep. Laura Brod

Sen. David Hann

Brod and Hann are among the Republican legislators who took up a more prominent leadership role in the just-completed legislative session. Both are seriously considering the gubernatorial contest, but could also be attractive options for down-ballot posts. The latter has stepped down from his leadership position in the state senate in order to test the waters, but hasn’t made his candidacy official.

“I don’t have a time-line,” Hann said of making a decision. “I’d like to come to a conclusion about that relatively quickly.”

Rep. Morrie Lanning

Lanning also confirms that he’s seriously considering the race. He’s in his fourth term at the legislature after serving as the mayor of Moorhead for 22 years.

“I’ve been very encouraged in the support I’ve been getting from around the state,” he says. “But I recognize it’s a big hill to climb.”

Sen. Paul Koering

Koering would face a unique hurdle if he decides to seek the GOP endorsement. As an openly gay legislator, many GOP activists would find his candidacy untenable. Nonetheless Koering said that he will abide by the endorsement if he ultimately decides to run. He also touts his out-state bona fides as a significant plus in a field dominated by metro-area legislators.

In the ether: Former U.S. Sen. Norm Coleman, state Rep. Tom Emmer, state Sen. Michelle Fischbach, Minnesota Chamber of Commerce President David Olson, former U.S. Rep. Jim Ramstad and businessman Mike Vekich.
How politically tainted will Coleman be after the never-ending U.S. Senate battle with Al Franken? Several polls have indicated that Minnesotans have lost patience with his court battle. While the GOP base may be thankful to Coleman for his persistence in preventing the Democrats from establishing a filibuster proof majority in Washington, D.C., the general public is unlikely to welcome another campaign.

Ramstand faces the opposite problem. The popular former legislator would likely be formidable in a general election but is unlikely to have much cache with the GOP base.

Emmer is a conservative firebrand who loves to stir the pot. He’d at least be a wildcard in any endorsement contest.

Vekich made a bid for governor in 2002, but bowed out when it became apparent that he couldn’t win the GOP nomination. Nonetheless he’s made noises about another bid.

Next Monday: A look at the potential Green and Independence party fields.

Earlier: Who’s in for 2010: Democrats eyeing the governor’s mansion

Bakk is part of a crowded field on both sides of the aisle. Former House Minority Leader Matt Entenza, former U.S. Senator Mark Dayton, Ramsey County Attorney Susan Gaertner and state Sen. John Marty are all in on the DFL side, with at least a half dozen others actively eyeing the race.

The GOP field was thrown wide open last week when Pawlently announced that he would not seek a third term. So far state Reps. Laura Brod and Paul Kohls, state Sens. David Hann and Paul Koering, former State Auditor Patricia Anderson, House Minority Leader Marty Seifert, former House Majority Leader Steve Sviggum and former Pawlenty chief of staff Charlie Weaver have all expressed some level of interest in the race.

“We don’t have term limits in Minnesota, but we do have good judgment and common sense,” Pawlenty said. “Time marches on and now it’s time to give someone else a chance.”

The governor, however, refused to be drawn into speculation that the move is an indication that he harbors presidential ambitions. “I don’t have any plans beyond serving out my term,” Pawlenty insisted. “I’m not ruling anything in or out.”

In recent weeks, Pawlenty has drawn plaudits from conservative quarters for his hard-line stance on fixing the state’s budget problems without raising taxes. Americans for Tax Reform, arguably the country’s most stridently anti-tax advocacy group, named him a “Hero of the Taxpayer.” An op-ed piece in the Wall Street Journal praised his budget maneuvers as a potential blueprint for how the national GOP could get its groove back.

At today’s press conference, Pawlenty brandished his fiscal conservative bona fides on several occasions. “The fact that we’ve brought more competition to Minnesota by keeping a lid on taxes and spending is really important,” he said when asked about his proudest achievements in office.

But Pawlenty continued to plead ignorance about any national political plans. When asked at the press conference if he intended to start a political-action committee, he professed uncertainty about the logistics of setting up such an organization.

The governor’s decision not to attempt a three-peat is also viewed by many political observers as bad news for Al Franken. The reason: It may suggest that Pawlenty will be emboldened to hold off signing an election certificate even if Franken prevails in the U.S. Senate contest at the Minnesota Supreme Court, as is widely anticipated. Such a maneuver would curry favor with the party’s base and the GOP leadership in the nation’s capital, but it would likely doom any statewide political ambitions in Minnesota.

Pawlenty’s remarks on this matter in the past have been ambiguous. Today he stated that he would adhere to the directives of the courts. “I think you guys have really over-baked that issue,” he said. “You’re really spinning out of control on that.”

In cold political terms, the decision not to run for re-election was probably not particularly difficult. Although polling released since the end of the legislative session has indicated that Pawlenty is still relatively popular, he would have faced an extremely difficult battle. He failed to garner 50 percent of the vote in his first two runs for the top office and Democrats have made significant electoral gains in the last two election cycles. In addition, it’s uncertain how Pawlenty’s budgetary hardball will play with Minnesota voters. Defeat at the ballot box in 2010 would surely doom any future national ambitions.

But the governor insisted that fear of losing played no part in his decision. “I absolutely could have won and I think would have won a third term,” he said.

Pawlenty’s decision not to seek re-election likely means there will be a crowded field of contenders for the GOP crown in next year’s gubernatorial contest. Among the names in the ether: former Pawlenty chief of staff Charlie Weaver, former House Speaker Steve Sviggum, House Minority Leader Marty Seifert, former State Auditor Patricia Anderson, state Sens. David Hann and Julie Rosen, state Reps. Paul Kohls and Laura Brod, former U.S. Rep. Jim Ramstad and GOP National Committeeman Brian Sullivan.

One potential candidate unlikely to run: Lt. Gov. Carol Molnau.
“Someone once told me never say never,” Molnau said at the press conference, “but I think it’s probably highly unlikely that I would be looking at a governorship.”

Perhaps the closest Pawlenty came to admitting national political ambitions during the press conference was when he talked about helping to rebuild the Republican Party after significant electoral setbacks during the last four years. “It’s got to be a party that can accommodate both Colin Powell and Rush Limbaugh if we’re going to be successful,” he said, taking a not-so-subtle swipe at former Vice President Dick Cheney.

Pawlenty also showcased the aw-shucks political skills that have made him a player in national politics. Near the close of the press conference, he insisted that his ideal job has nothing to do with politics.

“My dream job is to be an NHL defenseman, but at 48 and having no skill it’s tough,” he laughed.