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Minnesota Family
Council
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Bills raising the specter of
“baby selling” and “designer babies” reach the House and
Senate floors Group says
legislation, setting up enforceable gestational carrier
agreements, treats children as “commodities” and is among the
most radical in the nation Minneapolis – Tom Prichard, President of
the Minnesota Family Council (MFC), today called on
legislators to reject bills establishing legally enforceable
gestational agreements and authorizing the transfer of babies
for money between individuals and hired birth
mothers. “This legislation constitutes legalized
baby selling and raises the specter of the state sponsoring
the new eugenics – designer babies. The bill is far out
there. Way beyond what any European country and most US
states have authorized,” said Prichard. The bills, HF 3448 Tingelstad and SF 2965
Higgins, authorize the establishment of legally enforceable
gestational carrier agreements which would require Minnesota
courts to enforce privately entered contracts between an
intended parent or parents and a third party birth mother who
is hired for money to birth the baby and turn it over to the
intended parent. The amended Senate bill would also
eliminate the use of the word “father” and spousal terminology
(husband, wife) and give parental rights to a lesbian or
cohabiting male partner of a woman who is artificially
inseminated or impregnated. “These bills treat unborn children as
commodities. Nothing in the bills protect the interests
of the child. They’re merely an object in a contractual
exchange between the birth mother and intended parent, who may
be a single parent or part of a lesbian or gay partnership or
a group of cohabiting persons instead of a married
couple. It’s wrong for the state to facilitate the
raising of more children in homes without a mom and a dad and
to authorize the selling of children for cash,” added
Prichard. Most states with laws in this area either
treat surrogacy and gestational agreements as void or prohibit
the transfer of the baby for compensation. In instances
where compensation is permitted, Texas and Utah, such
agreements are limited to married couples. The Minnesota
bills are modeled after a 2005 Illinois law which is among the
most radical in the
nation. |
The Minnesota Family Council is
Minnesota’s largest nonprofit, non-partisan pro-family
organization.
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Council, 2855 Anthony Lane S, Suite 150,Minneapolis, MN 55418
1-612-789-8811 www.mfc.org
Copyright © 2007, Minnesota Family
Council