The White House isn’t the only one taking steps to protect abortion rights amid the storm of legislation passing in conservative states that limit or ban abortion access. Making his state the first in its region to guarantee access to abortion after the decision in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization overturning Roe v. Wade, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz signed legislation Tuesday establishing a "fundamental right" to abortion in the state.
According to The Star Tribune, while the new law—known as the Protect Reproductive Options Act, or PRO Act—won’t change anything for abortion providers in the state (access is protected by a 1995 state Supreme Court ruling), it will codify protections for contraception, fertility treatments, sterilization, and other reproductive health.
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“Last November, Minnesotans spoke loud and clear: They want their reproductive rights protected – not stripped away,” Walz said in a press release. “Today, we are delivering on our promise to put up a firewall against efforts to reverse reproductive freedom. No matter who sits on the Minnesota Supreme Court, this legislation will ensure Minnesotans have access to reproductive health care for generations to come. Here in Minnesota, your access to reproductive health care and your freedom to make your own health care decisions are preserved and protected.”
The bill was passed by the Senate on a 34-33 party-line vote after 15 hours of debate on Saturday, all Republicans and one Democrat voted against the bill in the House.
Of course, the bill faced backlash from Republican legislators, who called it “extreme” in a letter to Walz ahead of the signing. They also urged the governor to veto it, claiming that it needed restrictions, including limiting abortions in the third trimester.
While Republicans suggested amendments to the bill, they were all rejected by Democrats, who said that abortions in the third trimester are exceedingly rare in Minnesota and rarely occur without a medical emergency, the Star Tribune reported.
"With the signing of the PRO Act, the people who will discuss the next step in health care management will be those in the exam room," said Dr. Melissa Richards, an OB-GYN in Rochester. "Now the clutch part: The person deciding the next step will be the person with the uterus.”
With abortion banned in several neighboring states, Minnesota is being seen as a “north star.” According to the Guttmacher Institute, Minnesota and Illinois are the two few Midwest states that have expanded access to abortion, with neighboring states like Wisconsin and South Dakota banning most access to the procedure, and North Dakota and Iowa expected to follow suit.
As a result of increased bans in surrounding states, Planned Parenthood North Central States, the state's largest abortion provider, has seen a 13% increase in out-of-state patients and a 40% increase in second-trimester abortions, CBS News reported.
The bill follows an announcement from the White House in which Joe Biden issued a memorandum that would protect access to medication abortion nationwide.
"I applaud Gov. Walz for signing a bill codifying reproductive rights, including the right to abortion, into Minnesota state law," Vice President Kamala Harris tweeted Tuesday. "State and local governments must continue to step up to protect reproductive health care for women everywhere."
The bill signed Tuesday is just the first step in guaranteeing reproductive rights for Minnesota residents. According to the Star Tribune, another proposal aims to further protect abortion rights by making patient data private to protect people traveling to Minnesota for the procedure, as well as their providers. This bill also restricts subpoenas and extradition orders from states where the procedure is banned.
"We must remember that so many of our sisters, our neighbors, our relatives and our friends across the country have lost the right to make their own choices," Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan said of the bill. "My message to them is: You are welcome in Minnesota, and we are not done."