Abortion rights bill fast-tracked in Minnesota to become law
2 years ago

Abortion rights bill fast-tracked in Minnesota to become law

Associated Press  

ST. PAUL, Minn. — A bill to strengthen abortion rights in Minnesota is on the fast track to becoming law as it passed its first test Thursday. As lawmakers across the country reconvene, they’re getting their first chances to take up key abortion proposals in the six months since the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade — and left the question of whether abortion is legal to the states to determine. They credit the backlash for their takeover of the Minnesota Senate, which gave the party full control of the Legislature for the first time in eight years and what their leaders say is the body’s first ever majority that supports abortion rights. The bill would establish that “every individual has a fundamental right to make autonomous decisions about the individual’s own reproductive health” including abortion and contraception.

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History of this topic

Abortion opponents prepare to undermine just-passed ballot measures
1 month, 4 weeks ago

Abortion opponents prepare to undermine just-passed ballot measures

Politico  

While President-elect Donald Trump and other Republicans campaigned on a promise to leave abortion policy to the states, Students for Life is lobbying allies on Capitol Hill to ban telehealth prescriptions of abortion pills and slash funding for colleges and universities that provide abortion pills through student health centers. “The federal government has a sacred duty to protect the right …

In 'win for reproductive freedom,' North Dakota judge strikes down abortion ban
3 months, 4 weeks ago

In 'win for reproductive freedom,' North Dakota judge strikes down abortion ban

Raw Story  

Two days after Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump claimed that "every Democrat, every Republican, liberal, conservative" wanted the federal right to abortion care to be overturned by the U.S. Supreme Court, a North Dakota judge became the latest on Thursday to strike down a state-level abortion ban, saying it violated residents' constitutional rights. Meetra Mehdizadeh, a staff attorney at CRR, …

Minnesota providers prepare for influx of patients from Iowa as abortion ban takes effect
5 months, 2 weeks ago

Minnesota providers prepare for influx of patients from Iowa as abortion ban takes effect

LA Times  

Minnesota providers and public officials are preparing to welcome patients traveling from Iowa, where a ban on most abortions after about six weeks of pregnancy goes into effect Monday. Sarah Traxler, an ob-gyn based in Minnesota and the chief medical officer of Planned Parenthood North Central States, said Iowa’s law could have ripple effects throughout the region. Across the country, …

Minnesota lawmakers debate constitutional amendment to protect abortion and LGBTQ rights
8 months ago

Minnesota lawmakers debate constitutional amendment to protect abortion and LGBTQ rights

Associated Press  

ST. PAUL, Minn. — Minnesota lawmakers launched their debate Monday on far-reaching legislation to amend the constitution to protect abortion and LGBTQ rights. The Minnesota Equal Rights Amendment would be among the nation’s most expansive protections of abortion and LGBTQ rights if it is approved by lawmakers this session and then by voters on the 2026 ballot. Supporters wore green …

An abortion rights initiative in South Dakota receives enough signatures to make the ballot
8 months, 1 week ago

An abortion rights initiative in South Dakota receives enough signatures to make the ballot

Associated Press  

Supporters of a South Dakota abortion rights initiative submitted far more signatures than required Wednesday to make the ballot this fall. “Women that get raped, victims of incest, women carrying nonviable or problem pregnancies have zero options.” Weiland said the ballot measure is based on Roe v. Wade, which had established a nationwide right to abortion. The initiative would allow …

Minnesota Legislature will return from Easter break with plenty of bills still in the pipeline
9 months, 1 week ago

Minnesota Legislature will return from Easter break with plenty of bills still in the pipeline

Associated Press  

ST. PAUL, Minn. — The Minnesota Legislature will return from its Easter break on Tuesday with plenty of bills in the pipeline. With less than two months to go before the adjournment deadline of May 20, here’s a look at the state of play: BUDGET The $72 billion two-year budget was largely set last year. One problem got solved early …

Bill that would have placed the question of abortion access before Louisiana voters fails
9 months, 2 weeks ago

Bill that would have placed the question of abortion access before Louisiana voters fails

Associated Press  

— A bill that ultimately would have let voters decide whether abortions should be legal in Louisiana, a state with a near-total ban, failed after a Republican-controlled committee rejected it Monday. The legislation proposed an amendment to Louisiana’s constitution that would enshrine reproductive rights for women, including allowing contraceptives such as birth control, access to abortions and infertility treatments. Freeman …

Iowa’s abortion providers now have some guidance for the paused 6-week ban, if it is upheld
10 months, 3 weeks ago

Iowa’s abortion providers now have some guidance for the paused 6-week ban, if it is upheld

Associated Press  

DES MOINES, Iowa — Iowa’s medical board on Thursday approved some guidance abortion providers would need to follow if the state’s ban on most abortions after about six weeks of pregnancy is upheld by the Iowa Supreme Court. The rules instruct physicians to make “a bona fide effort to detect a fetal heartbeat” by performing a transabdominal pelvic ultrasound “in …

Republicans can’t make abortion go away in 2024
1 year ago

Republicans can’t make abortion go away in 2024

The Independent  

Sign up for the daily Inside Washington email for exclusive US coverage and analysis sent to your inbox Get our free Inside Washington email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Republicans failed to flip a single Senate seat …

Physicians, clinic ask judge to block enforcement of part of a North Dakota abortion law
1 year, 1 month ago

Physicians, clinic ask judge to block enforcement of part of a North Dakota abortion law

Associated Press  

BISMARCK, N.D. — Physicians and the former, sole abortion provider in North Dakota on Tuesday asked a judge to block enforcement of part of a revised law that bans most abortions, saying a provision that allows the procedure to protect a woman’s health is too vague. North Dakota outlaws all abortions, except in cases where women could face death or …

Iowa Republicans passed a strict abortion bill last night. A legal challenge was filed by morning
1 year, 5 months ago

Iowa Republicans passed a strict abortion bill last night. A legal challenge was filed by morning

Associated Press  

DES MOINES, Iowa — Iowa’s new ban on most abortions after roughly six weeks of pregnancy was challenged in court on Wednesday, launching what will likely be a lengthy and emotional legal battle just hours after the Legislature approved it in a late-night vote. The challenge, brought by the ACLU of Iowa, Planned Parenthood North Central States and the Emma …

Iowa Republicans pass bill banning most abortions after about 6 weeks, governor to sign on Friday
1 year, 6 months ago

Iowa Republicans pass bill banning most abortions after about 6 weeks, governor to sign on Friday

Associated Press  

DES MOINES, Iowa — Iowa’s Republican-led Legislature passed a bill banning most abortions after roughly six weeks of pregnancy during a marathon special session Tuesday that continued late into the night. “The Iowa Supreme Court questioned whether this legislature would pass the same law they did in 2018, and today they have a clear answer,” Reynolds said in a statement. …

Minnesota abortion clinics embrace support in year since Roe fell
1 year, 6 months ago

Minnesota abortion clinics embrace support in year since Roe fell

Al Jazeera  

Abortion providers report increase in patients, public support as US state boosts protections after fall of Roe v Wade. Minneapolis, Minnesota – It’s been one year since the United States Supreme Court overturned the constitutional right to abortion across the country, and Paulina Briggs vividly remembers exactly what that day felt like. “Just knowing the impact that would have on …

Bill to ban nearly all abortions advances in North Dakota
1 year, 8 months ago

Bill to ban nearly all abortions advances in North Dakota

Associated Press  

Lawmakers in North Dakota’s House passed a bill on April 17 that would ban abortions at all stages of pregnancy with some narrow exceptions, the Bismarck Tribune reported. Opponents of the bill said six weeks is too early to ban abortions for victims of rape or incest, because many women don’t know they are pregnant by that time. The House …

North Dakota’s abortion ban bill becomes veto-proof
1 year, 8 months ago

North Dakota’s abortion ban bill becomes veto-proof

Associated Press  

North Dakota state senators overwhelmingly passed a bill that would ban abortion at all stages of pregnancy. Last month, the North Dakota Supreme Court ruled a state abortion ban will remain blocked while a lawsuit over its constitutionality proceeds. Lawmakers have said they are passing this abortion bill and sending a message to the state’s Supreme Court that the people …

2 abortion bans failed, 1 passed in US statehouses this week
1 year, 8 months ago

2 abortion bans failed, 1 passed in US statehouses this week

Associated Press  

Ten months after the U.S. Supreme Court struck down Roe v. Wade and a nationwide right to abortion, states are pushing in opposite directions on the issue. This week, one state adopted a ban, two states tried to but didn’t get support from enough lawmakers and three states advanced measures to protect abortion access. But the Vermont legislation has a …

Washington, Minnesota become trans refuges, shield abortions
1 year, 8 months ago

Washington, Minnesota become trans refuges, shield abortions

Associated Press  

SEATTLE — Washington and Minnesota won’t cooperate with attempts to prosecute out-of-state patients seeking reproductive or gender-affirming procedures and treatment, under new laws signed Thursday by the two states’ Democratic governors. They’re the latest liberal states to enact legal safeguards as Republican legislators across the country are rushing to block or limit transgender and abortion health care. Anti-abortion advocates and …

Washington, Minnesota become trans refuges, shield abortions
1 year, 8 months ago

Washington, Minnesota become trans refuges, shield abortions

LA Times  

Jay Inslee hands a pen to Rep. Drew Hansen, left, after signing state House Bill 1469, which shields abortion and gender-affirming care patients and providers from prosecution by out-of-state authorities and prevents cooperation with investigations, Thursday at the University of Washington’s Hans Rosling Center for Population Health in Seattle. Democratic governors in Washington state and Minnesota on Thursday signed into …

Minnesota Legislature to return with much done, much to do
1 year, 9 months ago

Minnesota Legislature to return with much done, much to do

Associated Press  

ST. PAUL, Minn. — The Minnesota Legislature will return from its Easter-Passover break on Tuesday with a remarkably high number of bills already signed into law, but with plenty of work ahead to complete a balanced two-year budget in the six weeks before the mandatory adjournment on May 22. ABORTION Minnesota Democrats credit voter anger over last summer’s U.S. Supreme …

Minnesota Court of Appeals rejects abortion challenge bid
1 year, 9 months ago

Minnesota Court of Appeals rejects abortion challenge bid

Associated Press  

ST. PAUL, Minn. — The Minnesota Court of Appeals on Monday rejected an attempt by the Traverse County prosecutor to appeal a judge’s decision last year that threw out most of the state’s restrictions on abortion as unconstitutional. Ramsey County District Judge Thomas Gilligan ruled last July, in a lawsuit filed by abortion rights supporters, that Minnesota’s restrictions — including …

A hectic week for abortion policy with laws and lawsuits
1 year, 9 months ago

A hectic week for abortion policy with laws and lawsuits

Associated Press  

Nine months after the U.S. Supreme Court ended a nationwide right to an abortion, the landscape is far from settled, with lawmakers considering broader bans or stronger protections and legal challenges popping up nationwide. It’s been a hectic week for abortion policy with Republican-dominated states seeking to tighten restrictions, Democratic lawmakers trying to protect abortion access — and court fights …

Minnesota moving to fortify state status as abortion refuge
1 year, 9 months ago

Minnesota moving to fortify state status as abortion refuge

Associated Press  

ST. PAUL, Minn. — Minnesota is moving to fortify its status as a refuge for patients from restrictive states who travel to the state to seek abortions — and to protect providers who serve them. Democratic House Majority Leader Jamie Long, of Minneapolis, said the bill is needed because Texas-style legislation has been introduced in several states that could put …

Minnesota governor signs broad abortion rights bill into law
1 year, 11 months ago

Minnesota governor signs broad abortion rights bill into law

Associated Press  

ST. PAUL, Minn. — Gov. Tim Walz enshrined the right to abortion and other reproductive health care into Minnesota statutes Tuesday, signing a bill meant to ensure that the state’s existing protections remain in place no matter who sits on future courts. “Until then, the Biden-Harris Administration will continue its work to protect access to abortion and support state leaders …

Minnesota Senate backs abortion rights after marathon debate
1 year, 11 months ago

Minnesota Senate backs abortion rights after marathon debate

Associated Press  

ST. PAUL, Minn. — The Minnesota Senate voted early Saturday after a marathon debate to write broad protections for abortion rights into state statutes, which would make it difficult for future courts to roll back. Abortion bans have got to go,” while opponents sang the hymn “Amazing Grace.” The authors have dubbed the bill the “PRO Act,” short for “Protect …

Minnesota House backs abortion rights after HHS chief visits
1 year, 11 months ago

Minnesota House backs abortion rights after HHS chief visits

Associated Press  

ST. PAUL, Minn. — U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra visited Minnesota on Thursday on a Midwest trip to affirm the Biden administration’s commitment to abortion rights despite the U.S. Supreme Court decision overturning Roe v. Wade. Tim Walz and Democratic legislative leaders at a news conference a few hours before the Minnesota House passed a fast-tracked bill …

Illinois lawmakers greenlight enhanced abortion protections
2 years ago

Illinois lawmakers greenlight enhanced abortion protections

Associated Press  

CHICAGO — Illinois lawmakers on Tuesday approved a measure protecting Illinois’ access to abortion from out-of-state meddling, making the state the latest to pursue such protections since the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade last June. In the words of Rep. Kelly Cassidy, the Chicago Democrat who “We are ensuring that Illinois will continue to serve the thousands of …

Illinois House approves increased abortion protection
2 years ago

Illinois House approves increased abortion protection

Associated Press  

CHICAGO — The Illinois House of Representatives voted Friday to shore up the state’s already-expansive reproductive rights and shield the influx of out-of-state patients seeking abortions in Illinois after the fall of Roe v. Wade. The proposal “tries to put additional bricks in the wall around Illinois so that we aren’t subject to attacks in our state from outside forces,” …

After midterms, states weighing abortion protections, bans
2 years, 1 month ago

After midterms, states weighing abortion protections, bans

Associated Press  

MINNEAPOLIS — Democrats hope to use their newfound political control in some states to guarantee that women have access to abortion, while some GOP strongholds may temper their efforts to deepen restrictions after poorer-than-expected results in the midterms. “The real uncertainty is how far states go” with abortion bans, said Mary Ziegler, a professor at the University of California, Davis, …

Kentucky, Michigan voters approve protecting abortion rights
2 years, 2 months ago

Kentucky, Michigan voters approve protecting abortion rights

Associated Press  

WASHINGTON — Voters in reliably red Kentucky rejected a ballot measure aimed at denying any state constitutional protections for abortion while voters in battleground Michigan enshrined abortion rights in their state’s constitution — joining Democratic California and Vermont in taking that step. On Michigan State University’s campus, junior Devin Roberts said that students seemed “fired up” and that he had …

In Minnesota, abortion key to Keith Ellison’s 2nd term hopes
2 years, 3 months ago

In Minnesota, abortion key to Keith Ellison’s 2nd term hopes

Associated Press  

MINNEAPOLIS — Keith Ellison gave up a safe seat in Congress to run for Minnesota attorney general, saying it was his best chance to push back against the policies of Donald Trump. “That’s true of my entire service.” Ellison was already leading a major initiative for greater police accountability when Floyd died under the knee of former Minneapolis Officer Derek …

Minnesota GOP governor candidate amends position on abortion
2 years, 5 months ago

Minnesota GOP governor candidate amends position on abortion

Associated Press  

ST. PAUL, Minn. — Minnesota Republican governor candidate Scott Jensen says he supports abortions for victims of rape and incest, altering his stance from previous comments he describes as clumsy. “I never thought it necessary to try and identify what those exceptions might be in regards to legal abortion or not, because I always thought when I uphold the pregnant …

Massachusetts lawmakers OK sweeping abortion access bill
2 years, 5 months ago

Massachusetts lawmakers OK sweeping abortion access bill

Associated Press  

BOSTON — Massachusetts lawmakers approved a sweeping abortion bill Tuesday aimed in part at building a firewall to protect access to the procedure after the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade last month. The bill also states that access to reproductive and gender-affirming health care services is a right protected by the Massachusetts Constitution; requires the state’s Medicaid program, …

Abortion ruling to speed process for clinics, patients
2 years, 5 months ago

Abortion ruling to speed process for clinics, patients

Associated Press  

MINNEAPOLIS — A court ruling that struck down most of Minnesota’s restrictions on abortion as unconstitutional will speed the process for clinics and patients, though providers are still studying all the implications of how the landscape will change as a result. “The court decision from Monday is great news for abortion access,” said Emily Bisek, a spokeswoman for Planned Parenthood …

Judges rule on state abortion restrictions, shape Roe impact
2 years, 5 months ago

Judges rule on state abortion restrictions, shape Roe impact

Associated Press  

SALT LAKE CITY — A Utah judge on Monday granted a request from Planned Parenthood to delay implementing the state’s trigger law banning most abortions, as implications of the U.S. Supreme Court overturning Roe v. Wade reverberate nationwide. Federally, the Biden administration’s Department of Health and Human Services said Monday that hospitals “must” provide abortion services if the life of …

Judge strikes down most of Minnesota’s abortion restrictions
2 years, 5 months ago

Judge strikes down most of Minnesota’s abortion restrictions

Associated Press  

ST. PAUL, Minn. — A judge declared most of Minnesota’s restrictions on abortion unconstitutional on Monday, including the state’s mandatory 24-hour waiting period and a requirement that both parents be notified before a minor can get an abortion. Gilligan ruled that the state’s restrictions were unconstitutional under a landmark 1995 Minnesota Supreme Court ruling known as Doe v. Gomez, which …

With just 8 abortion clinics, Minnesota may struggle to meet out-of-state demand
2 years, 6 months ago

With just 8 abortion clinics, Minnesota may struggle to meet out-of-state demand

NPR  

With just 8 abortion clinics, Minnesota may struggle to meet out-of-state demand Enlarge this image toggle caption Christina Saint Louis/KHN Christina Saint Louis/KHN BLOOMINGTON, Minn. — A few minutes west of the Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport sits a brick, one-story building with opaque windows. Clinicians and abortion rights advocates say Minnesota patients regularly wait at least two weeks for appointments …

Abortion access threatened in these US states after Supreme Court ruling
2 years, 6 months ago

Abortion access threatened in these US states after Supreme Court ruling

Hindustan Times  

The US Supreme Court's overturning of America's constitutional right to abortion gives all 50 states the freedom to ban the procedure, with nearly half expected to do so in some form. Anti-abortion demonstrators celebrate outside the US Supreme Court as the court rules in the Dobbs v Women’s Health Organization abortion case. Missouri's attorney general Eric Schmitt tweeted a photo …

Minnesota Senate Democrats try to force abortion debate
2 years, 7 months ago

Minnesota Senate Democrats try to force abortion debate

Associated Press  

ST. PAUL, Minn. — The Minnesota Senate Democratic minority tried unsuccessfully to force consideration Thursday of nine abortion and health-related bills that the Republican majority has kept bottled up in committee, saying it was critical to take a stand even though they lacked the votes to prevail. The leak of a draft U.S. Supreme Court opinion that would overturn the …

A bill to codify abortion protections fails in the Senate
2 years, 8 months ago

A bill to codify abortion protections fails in the Senate

NPR  

A bill to codify abortion protections fails in the Senate Enlarge this image toggle caption J. Scott Applewhite/AP J. Scott Applewhite/AP The Women's Health Protection Act, a Democrat-led bill that would effectively codify a right to an abortion, failed to pass, as expected, after it did not reach the Senate's 60-vote threshold. Majority Leader Chuck Schumer said last week the …

Minnesota’s abortion clinics brace for influx in wake of Roe leak
2 years, 8 months ago

Minnesota’s abortion clinics brace for influx in wake of Roe leak

Al Jazeera  

If Roe v Wade decision falls, Minnesota will be surrounded by states where abortion will likely become illegal. However, should the draft of the United States Supreme Court decision leaked on Monday night hold and Roe v Wade be overturned, “trigger laws” set to take effect the moment Roe falls in North Dakota, South Dakota, and 11 other states would …

Suit challenging Minnesota’s abortion restrictions delayed
2 years, 8 months ago

Suit challenging Minnesota’s abortion restrictions delayed

Associated Press  

ST. PAUL, Minn. — A lawsuit challenging Minnesota’s restrictions on abortions that was set to go to trial next month has been delayed indefinitely, under an order from the Minnesota Court of Appeals. The appeals court said late Tuesday that the lawsuit, filed by Gender Justice and other groups that support abortion rights, can’t proceed while the state’s appeal over …

Overturning Roe would outlaw abortion in North Dakota
2 years, 8 months ago

Overturning Roe would outlaw abortion in North Dakota

Associated Press  

BISMARCK, N.D. — North Dakota has been poised for years to outlaw abortions if the U.S. Supreme Court overturns its landmark 1973 ruling that legalized the procedure. North Dakota is one of about a dozen states, including South Dakota, that have laws that would come into force if the U.S. Supreme Court overturns Roe v. Wade, as a draft opinion …

Minnesota prepares to be abortion destination if Roe falls
2 years, 8 months ago

Minnesota prepares to be abortion destination if Roe falls

Associated Press  

ST. PAUL, Minn. — Minnesota could become a destination for abortion services for women from other states if the U.S. Supreme Court throws out the landmark Roe v. Wade decision, and the state’s abortion providers said Tuesday that they’re preparing for the anticipated surge. That’s because abortion would remain legal, at least for now, under a 1995 Minnesota Supreme Court …

Rape exceptions to abortion bans were once widely accepted. No more
2 years, 9 months ago

Rape exceptions to abortion bans were once widely accepted. No more

LA Times  

As conservative states enacted stringent abortion bans in recent decades, there was one threshold they were loath to cross: Abortion was nearly always allowed in cases of rape or incest. There was a brief backlash to Alabama’s law, but over the last four years, 10 states have enacted abortion bans in early pregnancy without rape or incest exceptions: Alabama, Arkansas, …

Murphy signs bill enshrining abortion into NJ state law
2 years, 11 months ago

Murphy signs bill enshrining abortion into NJ state law

Associated Press  

TRENTON, N.J. — New Jersey Democratic Gov. Phil Murphy, anticipating possible changes to the Roe v. Wade ruling from the U.S. Supreme Court, signed a bill Thursday enshrining the right to an abortion into state law. “Regardless of whether or not the Supreme Court overturns Roe v. Wade, New Jersey’s position in support of the right to reproductive autonomy will …

House Democrats are ready with a bill to legalize abortion. But it won’t be that simple
3 years, 4 months ago

House Democrats are ready with a bill to legalize abortion. But it won’t be that simple

LA Times  

Eight years ago, even when Democrats controlled the White House and Justice Anthony M. Kennedy was viewed as a reliable Supreme Court vote to protect abortion rights, Rep. Judy Chu was already preparing for the day when a future conservative bench would roll back them back. “We thought this day would come when there will be a draconian law that …

GOP-led states see Texas law as model to restrict abortions
3 years, 4 months ago

GOP-led states see Texas law as model to restrict abortions

Associated Press  

— Republican states that have passed increasingly tough abortion restrictions only to see them blocked by the federal courts have a new template in an unusually written Texas law that represents the most far-reaching curb on abortions in nearly half a century. In Mississippi, Republican state Sen. Chris McDaniel said he would “absolutely” consider filing legislation to match the Texas …

Republican-controlled states advance bills to limit abortion
3 years, 11 months ago

Republican-controlled states advance bills to limit abortion

Associated Press  

— Four new proposed abortion restrictions passed the state House Tuesday in Montana, one of several states where GOP gains are lending more momentum to prohibitions on the procedure. The Montana bills largely echo legislation already passed in other Republican-controlled states — including a ban on abortion in most cases after 20 weeks of gestation; a requirement that health care …

Iowa governor signs abortion law amid court challenge
4 years, 6 months ago

Iowa governor signs abortion law amid court challenge

Associated Press  

Kim Reynolds on Monday signed into law a bill that requires women to wait 24 hours before getting an abortion, trying again to institute a restriction similar to one struck down two years ago by the Iowa Supreme Court. The group argues that the bill also violates the due process and equal protection rights of women seeking an abortion, much …

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