DFL abortion access bill advances in Minnesota Legislature

Legal marijuana push starts in Minnesota; supporters say '2023 is the year'

Supporters of legal marijuana unveiled their legislation Thursday at the state Capitol, vowing to take advantage of full Democratic control of the Legislature and pass a pot bill into law in 2023.

ST. PAUL, Minn. (FOX 9) - A bill that guarantees abortion access in state law, which Democrats have labeled their top 2023 legislative priority, is already on the move three days into the session.

The bill passed the House Health committee Thursday on an 11-8 party-line vote after a contentious hearing. It requires at least one more committee stop before getting to the House floor, and the committee process has not yet started in the Senate.

A 1995 Minnesota Supreme Court ruling already protects abortion access in the state, but Democrats say a law change is a necessary safeguard in case the court ever overturns the 28-year-old decision. Minnesota abortion providers have seen an increased number of patients since the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v Wade last summer, triggering abortion bans in several states.

Minnesota’s abortion access is critical right now for Minnesotans and people across the country," Dr. Sarah Traxler, chief medical officer of Planned Parenthood North Central States, told lawmakers during Thursday's hearing. "We need the (abortion legislation) so Minnesotans and all patients know they are welcome here."

While other states in the upper Midwest have banned or restricted abortion since the U.S. Supreme Court's decision, Minnesota has gotten less restrictive. Last summer, a Ramsey County judge struck down several of the state's abortion restrictions, including the 24-hour waiting period and a parental notification requirement.

That means more people are coming to Minnesota for the procedure. Since the U.S. Supreme Court's decision, Planned Parenthood has seen a 13% increase in patients coming from outside the region for its services, Traxler said.

Democrats who took control of both chambers this week designated the abortion access legislation as House File 1 and Senate File 1, a symbolic gesture that shows legislative leaders' top priority.

But Republicans and anti-abortion rights groups said Democrats were rushing through legislation that includes no new restrictions on late-term abortions.

"My Democrat colleagues want to advance the most extreme position on abortion that they can possibly advance," said state Rep. Anne Neu Brindley, R-North Branch.

The hearing featured testimony from nearly 20 people who were split on either side of the issue. The number of abortions performed in Minnesota had been trending down over the past 15 years, state data indicate.