For now, cease-fire on social issues

The Pioneer Press reports today that abortion and gay marriage have been put aside for other issues this legislative session. No one has introduced a bill targeting these issues yet. Senator Metzen feels, (as do other Dem's) that Minnesota law takes care of the gay marriage issue.We all know how much we can count on the judges to look out for us. As it is, 60 percent of Minnesotans would like the opportunity to vote on a possible marriage amendment. Tom Prichard, executive director of the Minnesota Family Council said his organization will fight any move toward civil unions, which he calls "pseudo-marriage."

Scott Fischbach, executive director of Minnesota Citizens Concerned for Life says the abortion issue will keep coming up. Good. MCCL held their annual rally today and will continue to push for a ban against state-funded abortions. Good. Fischbach says "We are in a different situation this year. We are in a situation where both the House and Senate are controlled by those who are against us. We had gotten into a pattern over the last four or five years ... Now, the mold is gone."

Meanwhile, abortion-rights groups are eager to recoup some of the family planning money they had lost during the past several years.

Right now the state spends about $7 million every two years on family-planning grants. Current law would cut that funding to $5 million every two years.

Sarah Stoesz, president of Planned Parenthood wants to see that increased to $15 million every two years. She says,"That is fundamentally the most important aspect of health care for young women and men." Today, she and supportive legislators will officially unveil this years agenda.

That agenda may include revisiting the $2.5 million in annual grants to organizations that help pregnant women but do not directly back abortion, called the Positive Alternative Act.

Stoesz said she'd be interested in changing the program or shifting the money elsewhere. Sounds to me like she would only be happy if our tax dollars went to fund state sponsored abortions.