DFLers see ‘historic’ opportunity to strengthen legal abortion in Minnesota | Media Pyro

Sunday’s votes cast a majority in the Minnesota House and Senate in favor of including abortion in state law. Supporters say they are now preparing to hand over that new political power next year to the Capitol.

For the first time in Minnesota history, both houses will vote enough to pass bills protecting abortion and reproductive rights, with the governor poised to sign those protections into law. law. Lawmakers will also seek to put a constitutional amendment on the 2024 ballot that would legalize the right to an abortion.

“One of my favorite lines is when you come for our rights, we come for your seats. We did it. And we’re done,” said Senate Minority Leader Melisa López Franzen, DFL-Edina, on Wednesday. “We’re going to be able to pass progressive policies, not just on abortion care, but many more care and maternity support that families need.”

Although abortion has been legally protected in Minnesota since 1995, supporters have long worried that future judges and lawmakers may try to dismantle those rights. The new political landscape, they say, is an unprecedented opportunity to enshrine rights for patients and providers into law, to provide more funding for patients seeking medical care. abortion services.

Anti-abortion groups say they’re ready to push back to the House floor next year, and the DFL proposals don’t have the support of a majority of Minnesotans.

“I don’t think the abortion-on-demand vote has ever been valid,” Minnesota Citizens Concern for Life Communications Director Paul Stark said. “I don’t think that’s the idea that the public, the majority of the public, supports, and it’s a mistake to interpret the election that way.”

‘Previous Moments’

Although Minnesotans did not vote directly Tuesday on the question of abortion access, supporters believe that the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision in June to overturn Roe v. Wade and ending the nation’s constitutional right to abortion stirred up many voters as they chose candidates for the Constitution.

Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan called on volunteers from Planned Parenthood and other groups that support abortion rights to help the DFL win the House, Senate and governorship.

“This is about freedom. It’s about bodily autonomy,” said Planned Parenthood Minnesota Political Action Fund President Sarah Stoesz. “And, for the first time, we have a Legislature, a governor, an attorney general, a strong body, a leadership body in our country to protect us for the future. It’s a famous moment.”

House Speaker Melissa Hortman, DFL-Brooklyn Park, said voters expressed frustration and anger over Roe’s overturning during the election cycle, but Republican initiatives focused on crime and escalation did not rise to the level of hostility to Roe.

“I think Minnesota said, ‘We care about our rights. We care about our democracy, and we care about our independence,'” Hortman said. “If you don’t have control over your own body, it doesn’t matter.”

Senate Majority Leader Mark Johnson, R-East Grand Forks, said he wasn’t sure how his caucus would come down on the proposals because they haven’t discussed the policy issues in depth. on Thursday.

Got a budget?

Abortion providers and advocates welcomed Tuesday’s election results and hoped that reproductive health issues other than abortion would also be passed into law.

Over the summer, for example, a judge in St. Paul many of Minnesota’s abortion laws, including parental notification laws and the 24-hour waiting period, violate the state constitution.

Although abortion providers are covering that decision for now, advocates say it’s important to prepare for the judge’s decision and remove outdated laws from the books.

Megan Peterson, executive director of the non-profit group Gender Justice, said abortion bans and restrictions in some states are still on the books but were severely damaged during Roe. v. Wade was the law of the land that was suddenly raised after Roe was overturned.

That includes Wisconsin, where a law from the 1800s banning all abortions is back. “If you don’t get old, unconstitutional laws are on the books, if the courts change they come back alive,” Peterson said.

Minnesota lawmakers will also be called upon to address some of the potential issues surrounding the funding of abortions and increased co-payments for Minnesota Medical Assistance, the state’s Medicaid program for low-income people.

Minnesota Medical Assistance’s co-pays are so low that providers don’t pay “anywhere near the costs we do.” [the] method,” said Laurie Casey, executive director of WE Health Clinic in Duluth. The clinic, she said, should hold fundraisers and work with existing abortion funds to try and determine the difference.

MinnesotaCare, a federal tax-funded low-income health care program for Minnesota hospitals and health care providers that does not cover abortion, “so patients have to pay out of pocket,” says Paulina Briggs, laboratory supervisor at WE Health.

Since WE Health Clinic is the only abortion clinic in the Duluth area, they sometimes see patients from Wisconsin and sometimes Michigan.

Shortly after Roe was overturned, Gov. Tim Walz signed an executive order in June to protect people who travel to Minnesota for abortion care from prosecution by other states. But Briggs said it would be good if it became law.

It’s unclear how the Legislature will handle the funding even as abortion rights advocates move to codify abortion protections. However, advocates say it’s important to consider the financial concerns of clinics and consumers.

Peterson said many financial concerns are related to why someone chooses to seek an abortion. Economic concerns are one of the top reasons people name for seeking an abortion, according to a 2021 Minnesota Department of Health report.

“It’s kind of this way [during the election] you’re thinking about the economy and inflation, or you’re thinking about abortion,” he said. “It’s like reproductive health care, and being able to make decisions about the size and shape of your family, I think almost everyone who is thinking about having children or raising a family has financial considerations. It’s not disconnected.”