Prinsburg in west-central MN is “launch site” for new anti-abortion strategy

The small west-central Minnesota town of Prinsburg is where pro-life forces have launched their campaign to bring a Texas strategy to Minnesota:  local ordinances that allow citizens to sue any medical provider who performs an abortion.  Outgoing State Representative Tim Miller, who works for Pro-Life Action Ministries, says the goal is to have  “life ordinances” in as many Minnesota communities as possible, but to “do this right”:

“We want the community to be fully behind this.  This is not just trying to get into a community, get a city council to vote for something and pass it, (and) move on to the next city.  We want the city to embrace this.”

Some analysts say such ordinances would be unconstitutional under the Minnesota Supreme Court decision (Doe -v- Gomez) that legalized abortion.  Top Democratic lawmakers are talking about putting abortion rights into state law as extra insurance.  Miller says if they do, they would also have to pass a law to override any local ordinances — which he says would be much more difficult politically.