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Legislation to Watch
2011 Legislative Wrap Up
The first round of the 2011 Legislative session has shown the pro-choice community just how much elections matter. Despite a slate of candidates running on a platform of the economy and job creation, we saw an all attack on a woman's right to choose in Minnesota instead, wasting valuable legislative session time that ultimately ended in gridlock.
Attacks on Choice
Banning Abortions after 20 Weeks
One of the anti-choice major bills involved banning abortion procedures after 20 weeks gestation. This bill was a veiled attempt to get an abortion restriction ban in law to be challenged by Minnesota Supreme Court.Labeled as "Pain-Capable Unborn Child Protection Act, "this bill was based on pseudo-science, and would actually put women's lives in danger as it provided no health exceptions for women, even survivors of rape and incest or those whose pregnancies have severe fetal anomalies.
NARAL Pro-Choice Minnesota will protect a woman's health and safety while preserving personal decision-making and will defend the right of physicians to determine the best course of treatment for their own patients, not politicians.
On May 25th, 2011, Governor Mark Dayton vetoed this bill.
Banning the Constitutional Right to Choose
In 1995, the Minnesota State Supreme Court found that the state constitution provides greater protection for a woman’s right to choose than the federal Constitution. This ruling meant that the state’s public health coverage for low-income women cannot selectively discriminate as to which pregnancy-related services it will pay for. If the state will pay for childbirth, it must also pay for abortion services.
In 2011, our opponents once again introduced a bill to repeal this constitutional right.
NARAL Pro-Choice Minnesota continues to defend legislative attempts to challenge this ruling and restrict low-income women’s access to abortion.
On May 25th, 2011, Governor Mark Dayton vetoed this bill.
Preservation of Family Planning Funds
Once again, our champions worked to preserve the essential funding for our family planning providers. Unfortunately, the Health and Human Services Omnibus bill included a 50% cut to family planning services, despite the fact that for every $1 spent on family planning, the state saves $4, one of the best investments of state funding. Family planning prevent unintended pregnancies and provide women and their families with the tools to plan their lives.
On May 24th, 2011, Governor Mark Dayton vetoed this bill.
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