94th Legislative Session, Week 17
Minnesota's 94th Legislative Session
Week ending May 10, 2025
All Eyes on the Health Bill
This week, the fight for reproductive and community health care came into sharp focus as the House health finance omnibus advanced—with deep cuts, unanswered questions, and critical programs left hanging.
Behind closed doors, decisions are being made that could unravel hard-won gains in care and coverage.
The bill hits the House floor Monday. What’s in—and what’s out—could shape access to care for years to come.
Reproductive Health in the Crosshairs
The House health finance omnibus (HF2435/HF2436) moved out of committee, but the current draft tells a troubling story:
$1 million cut from Sexual and Reproductive Health Services (SRHS) grants
HIV/AIDS program funding appears to be eliminated (funding is included in the Senate Bill)
$4 million cut from Public Health Infrastructure grants
DEI policy funding wiped out entirely
What’s included:
$30.4 million for uncompensated ambulance runs
Expansion of telehealth and health care interpreter access
Maternal health improvements and certified midwife licensure reforms
Public testimony this week was emotional, urgent, and clear: these programs matter.
Want to read written testimony from the clinics and programs directly impacted?
Committee Testimony Archive
Want to read the bill?
Current Bill Text
Want to watch the floor debate?
Tune in Monday on HTV1
POCI Caucus: “Our Communities Are Not Expendable”
In a powerful press conference this week, the House People of Color and Indigenous (POCI) Caucus drew a line:
“We will not accept cuts that endanger immigrants, BIPOC, and working-class Minnesotans.”
Key Messages:
Protect MinnesotaCare access for undocumented residents
Preserve Earned Sick and Safe Time
Reject fear-based, anti-immigrant rhetoric
Community voices—including Councilmember Jason Chavez, Emilia Gonzalez Avalos, Amanda Otero, and elder Sally Sudo—shared powerful stories of health inequities, cancer diagnoses, historical trauma, and generational resilience.
Medicaid = Reproductive Health
Medicaid covers more than 18 million women, over half of all U.S. children, and one in four births nationwide. It is the largest provider of reproductive health care in the country—and it’s under federal threat.
In Minnesota, Medical Assistance (MA) is part of that same safety net. Proposed cuts and restructuring at the state level echo a national pattern of rollbacks disguised as “savings.”
Ms. Magazine: Medicaid is Essential
Important reminder:
Attacks on Medicaid are attacks on Planned Parenthood.
The ongoing, multipronged campaign to defund Planned Parenthood threatens far more than abortion access—it would devastate access to essential care for low-income communities, including birth control, STI testing, cancer screenings, and more.
The quiet part has been said out loud. These efforts are not just about budgets—they’re about dismantling reproductive health care: Abortion Opponents are Intent on Destroying Planned Parenthood—and They Aren’t Afraid to Take the Federal Government Down With It
Upcoming Events
Saturday, May 10
Pro-Choice Minnesota and Attorney General Community Forum on Reproductive Healthcare
Our Justice Fund-a-Thon
Celebrate and support abortion funds across the state
MNAAC Protest of Abria 5K
Say NO to deceptive crisis pregnancy centers in public parks
Thursday, May 15
EMERGE: Our Justice’s Post-Abortion Support Group
Saturday, May 24
We Protect Us: A Skill-Up Symposium on Rest and Resistance hosted by The Paper Lantern Project
Take Action
Our communities are not budget line items. Our care is not optional.
Show up in person Tuesday and make your voice heard:
Hands Off Tuesday – Capitol Action
Email your lawmakers:
Planned Parenthood Action Alert
Call or Text your lawmakers:
Join SEIU’s Code Blue Call Days, Textbanks, etc.