Midwest
Walz abortion record is 'on par with China and North Korea,' says parental rights advocate
MINNEAPOLIS — A parental rights advocate in Minneapolis is warning that Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz’s policies on issues like abortion and gender ideology are far from “moderate” and says that under his watch, Minnesota has become one of the most progressive states in the country.
“I was pretty surprised that the claim for his pick was that he is a moderate, that he shares Minnesota values,” Renee Carlson, General Counsel of True North Legal, a legal initiative of the Minnesota Family Council, told Fox News Digital.
“A lot of people in Minnesota are astounded by the policies that have been passed in Minnesota, specifically policies that affect families flourishing. They’re disappointed and certainly not in line with his progressive ideology.”
Carlson told Fox News Digital that one of the key areas Walz’s leadership has let down her community is on the issue of abortion.
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True North Legal’s Renee Carlson spoke to Fox News Digital about Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz’s record.
“From our perspective at True North Legal, we were very disappointed with the administration’s governance on matters of protecting life and also protecting not only these preborn children, but protecting women,” Carlson said. “He has some of the most extreme policies, not only in the United States, but in the world, on par with China and North Korea.”
“The reality of it is, most Minnesotans did not agree with his policy of abortion up to birth with no limitations,” she continued. “This is for anybody, this includes minors. There is also a repeal that partners with that fundamental right of nearly all protective guardrails for women and girls seeking an abortion. This means the removal of hospital-only law, of physician-only laws, of the 24-hour waiting period. A woman’s right to know, which simply provides them information about what happens to their bodies when they get an abortion.”
Carlson explained that legislation in Minnesota was amended to remove protections for babies born alive after surviving an abortion and that now they only receive “comfort care” as opposed to “life-saving care.”
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Vice President Kamala Harris and Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz appear at the Democratic National Convention in Chicago on Aug. 22. (Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)
“We’re talking about an administration that thinks that it’s okay to let preborn children who survive an abortion die on a cold metal table,” Carlson said. “Cattle and reptiles in Minnesota now have more rights than Minnesota’s women and preborn children when it comes to abortion.”
When it comes to religious freedom under Gov. Walz, Carlson says that he has missed the mark.
“Very disappointed and not a moderate position at all,” she said. “I mean, a brazen attack on our fundamental freedoms and First Amendment rights.”
“The Minnesota Human Rights Act, like many states, has anti-discrimination provisions, based on specific categories. One of those is gender identity, and that is at times in conflict with sincerely held religious beliefs of religious people in Minnesota. And that’s about half the population,” Carlson said. “Well, a special exemption back in the ’90s was put in when sexual orientation was added as a protected class to the Minnesota Human Rights Act. I mean, and that was a wonderful demonstration of pluralism. If that legislation was going to be added, at least there were protections for religious organizations within this exemption. Well, that exemption, like I said, was removed last year.”
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Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz speaks to an audience at the International Association of Fire Fighters convention in Boston on Wednesday.
“These are brazen policies. They are not moderate,” she added.
Walz, who has been nicknamed by some Republicans in the state as “Tampon Tim” for allowing menstrual products to be placed in some boys’ school bathrooms, has also earned a failing grade from Carlson when it comes to gender ideology.
“With respect to gender ideology, Minnesota is — quite surprisingly, though it’s in the Midwest — emerging as one of the most progressive states when it comes to gender policies,” she said. “Essentially, their policies reflect a sentiment that they would like gender ideology to be the superseding category.”
Carlson told Fox News Digital that the Walz administration has “not proven to be a moderate administration at all” and “they’ve passed some of the most extreme progressive policies.”
“Their state agencies have enforced some of the most extreme progressive laws, and that is disappointing,” she said.
Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz reacts during the Democratic National Convention in Chicago on Aug. 21. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke)
“That has been a struggle for many, many Minnesotans, and if that’s happening in Minnesota, imagine what could happen to the fabric of our country. We are fighting for our freedoms. I mean, something as simple as religious freedom was on the chopping blocks in Minnesota. If that’s happening in Minnesota, just imagine what could happen across the country. I think people need to take a closer look at Minnesota and what policies have been passed. And again, in my firsthand experience, this is not a moderate administration. These are some of the most progressive, extreme policies that we’ve seen across the country.”
Fox News Digital reached out to the Harris-Walz campaign for comment but did not receive a response.
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In Illinois, new legislation is designed to keep the cannabis market safe and growing.
Senate Bill 3222 prohibits the sale of certain intoxicating hemp products to anyone under 21.
Beginning in November, some products will be required to have child-proof packaging.
Misleading marketing and packaging will be banned. The law also allows all Illinois cannabis retailers to register as medical dispensaries and allows curbside and drive-thru pickup until 2:00 a.m. for all customers. The law also expands conditions to qualify for a medical card, which can now be certified through telehealth.
For more information, click here.
WESTFIELD, Ind. (WISH) — Two women are facing criminal charges following a prostitution investigation at an apartment complex in Westfield.
According to a news release Thursday, the investigation began June 23, stemming from a Crime Stoppers tip about suspected prostitution and possible human trafficking at The Farmhouse at Lantern Commons Apartments, near the 16000 block of Gleam Way.
On June 25, detectives arranged a meeting, entered the residence and encountered two adult women. One of the women agreed to engage in sexual activity in exchange for $300. Both women were detained at the scene.
Detectives searched the apartment and found evidence of sexual activity and prostitution-related activity.
Yanyi Zhang faces five charges:
- Two counts of Promoting Prostitution, a Level 5 Felony.
- Identity Deception, a Level 6 Felony.
- Class A Misdemeanor for prostitution.
Linxia Shi was charged with a Class A Misdemeanor for prostitution.
Zhang and Shi were offered victim assistance resources during the investigation, Westfield Police said.
A jury trial for Zhang is scheduled for Nov. 2, according to online court records.
This case marks the second prostitution investigation by the Westfield Police in the past two months, both of which were initiated by tips submitted anonymously through Crime Stoppers. The department encourages residents to continue to report suspicious activity.
INDIANOLA, Iowa (ICD) – After being convicted last year of 10 felonies including theft and dependent adult abuse, a central Iowa nurse is facing sanctions from the state’s Board of Nursing.
Registered nurse Holly Renee Carlson of Indianola is charged by the board with being convicted of a criminal offense that directly relates to the duties and responsibilities of the nursing profession, and failure to notify the board of a criminal conviction within 30 days. A hearing on the charges is scheduled for Oct. 16, 2026.
Court records indicate that in December 2025, a Warren County jury found Carlson guilty of one count of ongoing criminal conduct, six counts of first-degree theft against an older individual, one count of second-degree theft against an older individual, and two counts of dependent adult abuse.
According to prosecutors’ court filings, The Iowa Medicaid Fraud Control Unit and the Indianola Police Department launched an investigation into Carlson in 2024.
Prosecutors alleged Carlson financially exploited her parents while also working as a “legal nurse consultant and case manager” for her own company, Carlson & Associates. Prior to 2019, prosecutors said, she had worked as a case manager for the Des Moines office of the Veterans Administration.
According to the Medicaid Fraud Control Unit, Carlson was granted power of attorney over the affairs of her mother and father in 2016. In 2019, her father entered Vintage Hills, an Indianola senior living facility, due to issues with dementia.
In December of that year, Carlson allegedly submitted a change-of-beneficiary form to John Hancock Insurance, switching the beneficiary of her mother’s life insurance policy from her father to herself. When her mother passed away a few weeks later, Carlson submitted a claim for her mother’s life insurance and was paid $251,027.70, prosecutors alleged.
According to MFCU investigators, Carlson also transferred the family farm, and all of its land, out of her mother’s name, preventing Vintage Hills from placing a lien on the property to collect money owed from the mother’s stay at the facility, and deposited loan proceeds into her own bank account rather than using the money to improve the farm.
Investigators also alleged Carlson regularly withdrew money from her father’s bank account, and also sold two of his vehicles, without paying the bills for his care at Vintage Hills. “ln the end, after reviewing all of the bank records and various other records, it was determined that Carlson had financially exploited (her parents) for $456,829.09,” a Medicaid Fraud Control Unit investigator told prosecutors in a sworn affidavit.
Court records show that after her conviction, Carlson was sentenced to three years of probation tied to a 25-year suspended prison sentence.
Carlson referred the Iowa Capital Dispatch to her attorney, Trent Nelson, who declined to comment other than to say the criminal convictions are being appealed and the allegations against Carlson had nothing to do with her practice as a nurse.
Other Iowa-licensed nurses facing charges recently disclosed by the board include:
— Susan Louise Peden of Bondurant, an advanced registered nurse practitioner who is charged by the board with professional incompetence including a lack of knowledge, skill or ability to discharge her professional obligations; deviation from the standards of learning, education, or skill ordinarily possessed by a nurse; committing acts that might adversely affect a patient’s welfare; prescribing or distributing drugs in an unsafe manner, and prescribing or distributing drugs without assessing or evaluating the patient. A hearing on the matter is scheduled for Oct. 16, 2026.
According to the board, Peden, also known as Susan Louise Deo, has been an advanced registered nurse practitioner since May 2018. State records indicate the investigation into her conduct was initiated in 2024, the same year Peden founded Bondurant Dermatology.
Iowa Capital Dispatch was unable to reach Peden for comment.
— Nicolette Rae Lovitt of Coon Rapids, a registered nurse who is charged by the board with deviating from the standards of learning, education or skill ordinarily possessed by nurses; engaging in behavior that constitutes unethical conduct or practice harmful to the profession; and engaging in unethical conduct or practice harmful or detrimental to the public by violating professional boundaries. A hearing on the charges is scheduled for Oct. 16, 2026.
Iowa Capital Dispatch was unable to reach Lovitt for comment.
— Jaci M. Moore of Preston, a licensed practical nurse who is charged by the board with misappropriating or attempting to misappropriate medications or supplies of a patient or clinic; committing an act that might adversely affect a patient’s welfare; and failing to assess or evaluate a patient or client. A hearing on the charges is scheduled for Oct. 16, 2026.
Iowa Capital Dispatch was unable to reach Moore for comment.
Iowa Capital Dispatch is part of States Newsroom, the nation’s largest state-focused nonprofit news organization.
Copyright 2026 KWQC. All rights reserved.
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