A leading pro-life group in Minnesota has confirmed that Tim Walz covered up his record of abortions up to birth and infanticide during last night’s debate.

In response to Gov. Tim Walz’s debate comments about his actions regarding abortion and born-alive infants in Minnesota, Minnesota Citizens Concerned for Life Co-Executive Director Cathy Blaeser issued the following statement:

In 2023, Gov. Walz repealed Minnesota’s requirement that born-alive infants receive medically appropriate care that would save their lives. He also signed legislation establishing a policy of unlimited abortion throughout pregnancy. When confronted with these facts in the vice presidential debate, Walz chose to flagrantly lie about both. But his actions are now law and a matter of public record that everyone can see for themselves. Women and children deserve better than this extremism.

LifeNews is on GETTR. Please follow us for the latest pro-life news

In 2023, lawmakers and Gov. Walz enacted a “fundamental right” to abortion (HF 1) with no limitations at any stage in pregnancy (legislators had rejected dozens of amendments that would have made the law more moderate, including amendments to prevent elective abortions in the third trimester). Lawmakers in 2023 also repealed a 1974 law that had limited abortion after viability, leaving no gestational limit remaining in Minnesota statute (SF 2995).

Minnesota law used to guarantee medically appropriate lifesaving treatment for infants who survive abortion. In 2023, though, the legislature and Gov. Walz repealed (in SF 2995) the requirement that “reasonable measures consistent with good medical practice” be taken “to preserve the life and health of the born alive infant.” They replaced the requirement for lifesaving measures with a requirement for only “care” (which the bill’s author described as “comfort” care). Moreover, the new law no longer applies specifically to babies who survive abortion, but rather to all babies who are born alive. Babies born with disabilities are most at risk.

Some advocates and journalists have claimed that the repealed language required inappropriate or futile attempts to save non-viable infants’ lives. That’s false. The repealed law simply required “reasonable measures consistent with good medical practice.” Now, babies are no longer guaranteed reasonable measures that would save their lives.

Since 2015 (when updates to the previous born-alive protections were made), an average of three born-alive abortion survivors have been reported per year, according to the Minnesota Department of Health. This information, however, will no longer be available; the bill Walz signed (SF 2995) repealed the requirement that practitioners of abortion report cases of born-alive infants and the measures taken to care for them.