Legislation to Codify Minnesotans’ Right to Reproductive Freedom Now Goes to Governor Tim Walz for Approval
SAINT PAUL, Minn. – Early Saturday morning, the Minnesota Senate passed the Protect Reproductive Options (PRO) Act (HF 1), which establishes that every Minnesotan has a fundamental right to make autonomous decisions about their own reproductive health.
“Here in Minnesota, we hold dear that we all have a fundamental right to make autonomous decisions about our own reproductive healthcare,” said Senator Jen McEwen (DFL — Duluth), the lead author of the legislation. “Today, the Minnesota Senate demonstrated that we will not simply put our faith in individual judges to uphold our rights and freedoms – we will also enshrine those rights into state statute. Minnesotans now have an affirmative right to make their own decisions about reproductive health care. I’m proud to have taken this step today, and we will continue to advance legislation to ensure Minnesotans have meaningful access to the care they need.”
“Minnesotans made it clear that they wanted their government to protect their rights and freedoms, not restrict them, and that is exactly what we are doing by passing the PRO Act today,” said Senate Majority Leader Kari Dziedzic. “Today, we upheld our duty to defend Minnesotans’ right to make their own individual decisions about their reproductive freedom. I’m grateful to Minnesotans for electing pro-choice majorities in the Minnesota Legislature and to Senator McEwen for her strong leadership on this issue.”
The two lawmakers said that in the coming weeks, the Senate majority will continue to advance additional legislation to ensure that all Minnesotans have access to reproductive healthcare.
The Protect Reproductive Options Act will now be sent to Governor Walz to be signed into law.
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