Attorney General Ellison, Senator Smith stop in Rochester

(ABC 6 News) – Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison was joined by Senator Tina Smith and state senate candidate Aleta Borrud in Rochester Monday to talk about their plan to protect abortion rights in the state.

The trio also talked about Attorney General Candidate Jim Schultz’s pro-life, anti-choice beliefs. They stated that he was an opponent to abortion rights in Minnesota, and that abortion rights would be in danger if he took office.

“He will use the office to interfere and undermine peoples’ right to make their own choices about their own reproductive health,” Ellison said.

Schultz previously said he is not running to influence abortion policy, and questioned the power of the Attorney General’s office to do so.

“The Attorney General’s office has extraordinarily little influence over abortion policy. My job as the Attorney General is to enforce and defend Minnesota law. And that’s what I’ll do as Attorney General. Enforce and defend Minnesota law. I’m not a legislator. I can’t push legislation,” he said in a press conference last month.

Senator Smith says it’s important for Minnesotans to vote to protect their rights at the state level while she does large-scale work at the federal level to codify Roe v Wade into law.