Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison shared the reasoning behind why he has not appealed District Court decisions that struck down a number of abortion laws in Minnesota.
Ellison joined News Talk 830 WCCO's Jason DeRusha to discuss his decision, saying it wasn't a political choice but rather a practical one.
The laws that were struck would have implemented 24-hour waiting periods, informed consent, two-parent notification, and a mandate that only physicians can perform abortions.
In a ruling earlier in July, a Ramsey County District Court ruled those restrictions unconstitutional, citing a 1995 Minnesota Supreme Court ruling that says access to abortion is a constitutional right and extended those rights by removing those specific restrictions.
Alongside Gov. Tim Walz and others, Ellison shared that if he were to appeal the case, he would also have to take into account the overall public opinion.
"After three years of litigation in which my office and I thoroughly, vigorously, and faithfully defended the constitutionality of several state laws that regulate abortion, and after long and careful consideration of the district court's ruling and consultation with each of my co-defendants, I have decided not to appeal in the case of Doe vs. Minnesota," Ellison said in a statement on Thursday.
But some have not taken his decision lightly.
Ellison is running for reelection this fall and his challenger, Jim Schultz, says his decision is another dereliction of duty motivated by his far-left politics.
Still, the attorney general denies these remarks, saying that his office did a review and didn't find it likely an appeal would be successful.
"If I was a legislature, I would not vote for these, in fact, I did not vote for some of these, but that doesn't matter," Ellison said. "That's not why we have decided not to pursue an appeal."
