Tag Archives: Minnesota

Today’s St. Paul Pioneer Press has a good commentary on Gov. Pawletty’s right-decision- for-the-wrong-reasons, veto of the greatly compromised obc access bill. Written by St. Paul Attorney and adad Jim Hamilton, it discusses the absurdity of adoptee identity confiscation in Minnesota: Here’s part of it: Fortunately, my son was born in a country that does not seal original birth certificates. He already has a certified copy of his. He knows his origins. But thousands of others adopted in Minnesota since 1917 (and their descendants) will never know theirs, so long as Minnesota continues to meddle in their private lives. Ninety-one years of such meddling is more than enough. Perhaps our next Legislature and our next governor will recognize that the state has no legitimate role to play in this area of our lives. Perhaps they will recognize that adult adoptees are indeed adults, not the children they once were. But they’ll need to hear from us to do so.

Recently, Minnesota Senate File 3193 passed the legislature. It would have opened original birth certificates to all adoptees unless a disclosure affidavit (veto) is on file. Currently anyone adopted before 1977 is blacklisted. Anyone born after that date has access unless a birth parent has filed a veto–a very active veto. In Minnesota, you see, whenever an adoptee requests their original birth certificate, the state (or its contractor) hunts down natural parents to see if they consent or object to their bastard’s request. If they object, or if the state’s super sleuths can’t track them down–then their poor bastard gets nothing, unless he or she….goes to court for a “review.” The veto remained in 3193. Governor Tim Pawlenty vetoed the bill. Of course, Bastardette is happy that he did. But not for the same reasons. Pawlenty isn’t happy when the state breaks promises to desperate and hiding middle aged natural parents. Bastardette doesn’t like it when the state forges government documents about her friends. Pawlety’s veto message is in pdf form, and I’m not sure if this will get you there, but try it: Ch.%20330%20Veto%20Message.pdf Here’s what Pawlenty (or NCFA) wrote: This bill would erase the long-standing presumption of confidentiality Continue Reading →