The intended effect of “personhood” amendments is to criminalize abortion by changing the legal definition of a person to also include a fetus.
The head of a state pro-life group said last week that “Republican leaders lost sight of what is truly at stake—the lives of innocent human beings.”
The South Dakota law is being challenged by Planned Parenthood of Minnesota, South Dakota and North Dakota. Minnesotans have also donated to the fund.
The religious right has long railed against Halloween, condemning its pagan roots and claiming it promotes witchcraft and the occult. This year some groups are embracing the day as a time to reach kids with a pro-life and Christian message, while others use the day to burn “wicked” books and CDs. And one writer for Pat Robertson’s Christian Broadcasting Network warns parents that witches curse Halloween candy.
Perhaps the most contentious political issue in the Minnesota Capitol remains abortion. And despite a budget deficit topping the legislative agenda, proponents of a woman’s right to choose and opponents of legalized abortion will be putting forward initiatives and playing politics to advance their causes in the coming months.
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