Sen. Sheran challenges Minnesota's public birth certificates

A DFL state senator is working to forbid public access to some information on birth certificates — information that has been open to the public for more than a century.

Senator Kathy Sheran of Mankato said she wants to prevent groups from accessing parental contact information on birth certificates. She said she's worried the information is being used for commercial purposes.

"The public doesn't want the government to give out information to people who are selling products or ideas in an area that they didn't intend," said Sheran.

At least one group is criticizing Sheran for wanting to restrict access to the information. The Citizen's Council on Health Care Freedom recently started using the information to notify parents about their ability to opt out of a health department initiative that indefinitely stores blood collected after newborn screening tests.

"We consider the violation of a child's genetic privacy a greater violation than perhaps any other violation of privacy taking place today in this state," Twila Brase of the Citizen's Council said. "So we definitely support having the ability to notify parents in this way."