State legislator asks University of Minnesota sharp questions on fetal tissue research

Rep. Marion O'Neill
Rep. Marion O’Neill

Yesterday afternoon, Rep. Marion O’Neill, (R-Maple Lake), sent a letter to the University’s Board of Regents and asked for some answers regarding fetal tissue research at the state institution. Her letter is embedded at the bottom of this post.

In addition to asking for the University to ban the use and purchase of aborted fetal tissue, the letter also asks the University Regents to explain why leaders at the school had expressed no previous knowledge of the research when asked by state legislators.  Alpha News was also told by the University that it wasn’t conducting fetal tissue research back in July.  After purchase order records were discovered online, the University provided copies of the orders for fetal organs with Advanced Bioscience Resources Inc. from 2008-20014 and confirmed the research.  What is still unclear is whether the body parts and tissue are coming from abortion clinics in Minnesota, which would be a violation of the state’s fetal tissue disposition law.  Another Minnesota law prohibits the use of ” living human conceptus for any type of scientific, laboratory research.”

University students protest on campus yesterday, asking for investigation of fetal tissue research
University students protest on campus yesterday, asking for investigation into fetal tissue research procedures

Alpha News reached out to the University weeks ago to understand their relationship with Whole Women’s Health, an abortion clinic in Minneapolis whose Texas-based spokeswomen indicated their company does donate fetal tissue and had affiliations with research institutions in a July Houston Chronicle article.  A University of Minnesota spokesperson has told Alpha News that they are looking into the question, but has yet to provide any answers about the relationship.

65 state legislators sent a letter to Governor Mark Dayton back in July, asking for an investigation into whether the University of Minnesota was conducting research on the tissue of aborted babies and also called on the Governor to investigate Planned Parenthood, after videos surfaced from the Center for Medical Progress, indicating that Minnesota abortion clinics were involved in the sale of fetal body parts.  So far, the Governor has refused to look into the matter.

Alpha News covered a student protest on campus this week where Pro-Life student leaders were demanding answers about where the fetal body parts were coming from and asking for the University to clarify its policy on the taxpayer-funded research.

Alpha News will continue to follow this developing story.

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