ST. PAUL — Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison said he’ll defend state laws restricting abortion against a legal challenge despite his strong personal support for abortion rights.

Ellison told a forum in Fergus Falls last week his job is to defend Minnesota’s laws regardless of his personal opinions.

His comments marked the Democratic attorney general’s most definitive statement on the lawsuit since it was filed last month.

The lawsuit, brought by advocacy groups Gender Justice and the Lawyering Project, seeks to overturn the state’s 24-hour waiting period, two-parent notification requirements for patients under 18, a mandate that fetal remains be buried or cremated, and a requirement that all abortions be performed by a physician.

Minnesota Citizens Concerned for Life spokesman Paul Stark welcomed Ellison’s commitment to defend the laws.