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The Hennepin County Board voted 4-3 Tuesday to provide abortion training and services at the county-owned medical center, despite a last-ditch effort to delay the measure.
The vote came just over a month after the proposal was announced, triggering debates over its legality and morality. Training will begin this summer at an off-site clinic. Medical residents may choose not to participate.
Commissioner Randy Johnson attempted to delay yesterday's vote midway through the board's discussion with an amendment that would have required a written request for training from the University of Minnesota.
Hennepin County Medical Center trains most university resident physicians - those who have completed medical school and are getting further training in their specialties.
The commissioners who voted against adding abortion training - Johnson, Mike Opat and John Keefe - said the board should have the university's documented support on the controversial resolution.
"If the university feels so strongly that training for abortion is imperative, why aren't they? We are unilaterally approving what training medical residents should have when the Medical School should be doing it," Opat said.
Emily Anne Staples said she conferred with Dr. Leo Twiggs, the head of the university's obstetrics and gynecology program, and got his support before introducing the resolution....