ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) 鈥� Minnesota is moving to fortify for patients from restrictive states who travel to the state to seek abortions 鈥� and to protect providers who serve them.
The state House on Monday passed a bill by a 68-62 vote to prohibit enforcement in Minnesota of laws, subpoenas, judgements or extradition requests from other states against people who get, perform or assist with abortions in Minnesota. The Senate version passed its first committee test last week.
The House lead author, Democratic Rep. Esther Agbaje, of Minneapolis, said at a news conference before the debate that a prime example of what supporters are worried about is a their state's strict restrictions by allowing them to sue to anyone who helps a patient obtain an abortion elsewhere.
Democratic House Majority Leader Jamie Long, of Minneapolis, said the bill is needed because Texas-style legislation has been introduced in several states that could put Minnesota providers at risk, as well as residents who might help relatives or friends who come to Minnesota for abortions just by picking them up at the airport.
鈥淏efore the Dobbs decision last summer, I'd often care for patients from nearby states like the Dakotas or Wisconsin," said Dr. Sarah Trexler, chief medical officer at Planned Parenthood North Central States, which performs 70% of the abortions in Minnesota. "But now, for the first time ever, I regularly care for patients from Texas, Alabama, Wyoming, Oklahoma, Louisiana, and the list goes on and on.鈥�
Like Planned Parenthood and other providers, Whole Woman鈥檚 Health of Minnesota in Bloomington has also seen a sharp increase in patients from out-of-state, more than doubling from 2019 to 26% in 2022.
鈥淭he most remarkable change has come from Texas, where we only saw 2 patients from that state in 2019 to 96 from February 2022 to March of 2023,鈥� Amy Hagstrom Miller, president and CEO of Whole Woman鈥檚 Health Alliance, said in an email.
Democrats made have abortion rights one of their top priorities for Minnesota's 2023 legislative session. They won a in the November elections while maintaining a wider hold on the House to wind up with pro-choice majorities in both chambers. Democratic signed a fast-tracked bill in January to enshrine in state statutes abortion rights that decision.
allow private citizens to sue people they believe have helped someone get an abortion. Minnesota has already adopted some protections that apply to those people And pledged that his office wouldn鈥檛 cooperate with other states seeking to prosecute women who come to Minnesota for abortions. Several other states, including California and Colorado for patients traveling to seek abortions, either by executive order or by statute.
A more contentious bill working its way through the Minnesota House and Senate would repeal a long list of state statutes restricting abortion rights 鈥� such as 24-hour waiting period and parental notification requirements 鈥� that last July. It's meant to ensure that appellate courts can't restore those restrictions.
Long demurred on when that bill might come up for a House floor vote. Asked if supporters now have the votes to pass it, he replied, 鈥淲e'll have the votes when we bring it to the floor.鈥�
Republican critics of the various bills argue they've already left Minnesota with essentially no restrictions on abortion at all 鈥� at any stage of pregnancy. But their efforts to scale back the legislation and maintain some limits have all failed. Republican Rep. Peggy Scott, of Andover, said the bill passed Monday will give Minnesota a 鈥渂lack eye鈥� by making it a destination and sanctuary for people seeking to end their pregnancies.
鈥淲e are going to reward breaking the law, we are going to reward behavior that leads to felony convictions in other states. We're going to say, 鈥楥ome to Minnesota, we鈥檒l have you, we'll take you,'鈥� GOP Rep. Anne Neu Brindley said during the debate. 鈥淔olks, it's wrong.鈥�
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Trisha Ahmed contributed to this story from Minneapolis. Ahmed is a corps member for the Associated Press/Report for America Statehouse News Initiative. is a nonprofit national service program that places journalists in local newsrooms to report on undercovered issues. Follow her on Twitter:
Steve Karnowski, The Associated Press
