Gov. Tim Walz won't ask attorney general to appeal ruling overturning abortion restrictions
ST. PAUL -- Gov. Tim Walz said a state court case striking down several of the Minnesota's abortion restrictions as unconstitutional is settled, and that he won't ask the attorney general to appeal the ruling.
"I think the ruling was pretty clear and well thought-out," Walz said. "I don't think there is room where they'd need to."
A Ramsey County judge last week ruled many restrictions violate Minnesotans' right to an abortion under the state constitution affirmed by Doe v. Gomez, a 1995 state Supreme Court case. The laws blocked include a 24-hour waiting period; parental notification if a minor seeks an abortion; disclosure of certain medical information before the procedure; and a provision that only allowed doctors to perform abortions.
Walz, Attorney General Keith Ellison, Health Commissioner Jan Malcolm, the Minnesota Board of Medical Practice and the Minnesota Board of Nursing were named as defendants in the case.
"We certainly respect the court's decisions. I think at this point in time -- I think it's been decided," Walz said. "That's kind of how we're viewing but obviously the attorney general's office will have the final word on what they do."
Ellison has 60 days from last Monday to appeal. Within hours of the ruling, Ellison told reporters he had not yet reviewed it. A spokesman for the attorney general's office said Ellison is not legally bound to pursue an appeal but that he would consider it after reading the decision and consulting with other defendants. Ellison and Walz both support abortion rights.
"I believe in a woman's right to choose. But I also have a duty to defend Minnesota's statutes," Ellison said last Monday. "Both of those are my jobs at the same time. We're going to take good, strong look at the decision."