Reproductive Rights

On January 31, 2023, the PRO Act became state law in Minnesota, establishing the right to reproductive freedom and choice for all Minnesotans. With a stroke of the governor’s pen, our state became one of only three in the Midwest to make the right to abortion into law.

This is an incredible victory, but our work is not done.

Minnesota only has eight clinics that are designated as sites for abortion care. Since most of them are in the Twin Cities area, many rural Minnesotans must drive hours to be seen in person. On the other hand, Crisis Pregnancy Centers in Minnesota outnumber abortion clinics 11 to 1 and receive millions of dollars in state funding. CPCs are anti-abortion organizations that push biased and false medical claims on pregnant patients under the facade of providing medical care. This can delay or prevent patients from getting the real care they need.

Minnesota is surrounded by states who are trying to ban abortion or who have already succeeded, and patients from those states are flooding Minnesota’s eight clinics. Since Roe v. Wade was overturned, Planned Parenthood clinics in Minnesota have seen a 13% increase in patients seeking care. We need to expand resources and protection for both providers and patients to accommodate for this increase. Minnesota must become a beacon of hope to a nation in crisis.
At the MN NOW Reproductive Rights Committee, we affirm that reproductive rights are issues of life and death for women, not mere matters of choice, and we fully support access to safe and legal abortion, to effective birth control and emergency contraception, and to reproductive health services and education for all women. We oppose attempts to restrict these rights through legislation, regulation, or Constitutional amendment.

Most recently, our Committee has built a list of talking points [linked] on abortion and is working to distribute them among the pro-choice community. To get involved, you can attend our next Committee meeting at 7:00 p.m. on the third Sunday of every month. The Zoom meeting information is available on the MN NOW Calendar page. You can also visit our Get Involved page as well as the websites of our Minnesota Choice Coalition partners.

Reproductive rights are essential to achieving full equality. Minnesota NOW fully supports access to safe and legal abortion, to reproductive health services, and comprehensive sex education. Reproductive health rights of women, such as the decision to use birth control, have children or have an abortion, are affected by economic and socio-cultural factors.

Minnesota NOW opposes any attempts to restrict these rights through legislation, regulation, judicial decisions, or constitutional amendment.

The Reproductive Rights Committee serves as the Minnesota NOW liaison to the Minnesota Choice Coalition, and participates in the Reproductive Choice Lobby Day every spring and celebrates the anniversary of Roe vs. Wade every January.

To learn more about the Reproductive Rights Committee, visit the Get Involved section of our website and learn how you can help us fight for access to reproductive health for all Minnesotans.

Learn More:

The State of Abortion Access – Minnesota: Be proud to be pro-choice, but also be prepared.
Abortion Rights Talking Points – Consider using the arguments on this document to discuss abortion rights

Get Involved! Volunteer As Part Of Our Reproductive Rights Committee