Debate Marches on 40 Years Later

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Debate Marches on 40 Years Later

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Abortion opponents are marking the 40th anniversary of the Roe v. Wade ruling with a push for yet more restrictions after a string of legislative victories narrowing access to the procedure.

The 1973 Supreme Court decision established the right to abortion.

Anti-abortion advocates are rallying on the steps of the Minnesota capitol to call for stronger abortion laws in Minnesota.

Minnesotans Citizens Concerned for Life is hosting the Tuesday rally, which draws thousands to St. Paul each year. The group will announce its agenda for this legislative session.

With state government now controlled by Democrats, odds are slim of passing any anti-abortion legislation. Gov. Mark Dayton last session vetoed a Republican-backed bill that would have required a doctor's presence for pill-induced abortions.

Minnesota physicians have performed more than 560,000 abortions since 1975, according to state records. Yearly procedures have been on the decline over the past three decades, down to 11,000 in 2011.

The event falls on the 40th anniversary of U.S. Supreme Court rulings that established a right to abortion.

Hundreds of anti-abortion activists are gathering in Topeka for workshops and prayer services Tuesday. They also plan to rally outside the Kansas Statehouse featuring Gov. Sam Brownback, a Republican who signed tough, new anti-abortion laws during his first two years in office.

Much to the dismay of abortion-rights advocates, the pattern in Kansas has been repeated in other states.

Meanwhile, the anti-abortion group Kansans for Life plans to ask state lawmakers to enact legislation ensuring Kansas doesn't finance abortions, even indirectly, through tax breaks.

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Debate Marches on 40 Years Later - Valley News Live - KVLY/KXJB - Fargo/Grand Forks

Debate Marches on 40 Years Later

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