Photo by Sharolyn B. Hagen Photography
On May 21, over 1,000 activists protested the extreme abortion bans across the country at Minnesota State Capitol. Activists rallied in all 50 states as a part of a national STOP THE BANS day of action. We have seen a rash of extreme abortion bans sweeping the country, all with one goal in mind—to bring a direct challenge to Roe v. Wade to the Supreme Court and make abortion inaccessible in this country. This is not what people in America want.
With the recent onslaught of abortion bans around the country, including the bans just passed in Alabama, Georgia, and Missouri—Roe is at real risk.
This isn’t a coincidence — this is an attempt to ban abortion outright. This is not just an attack on people in Alabama or Georgia, this is an attack on ALL of us. This is an attack on everyone who might or can get pregnant.
With Trump in the White House and Kavanaugh on the Supreme Court, state politicians are emboldened to try and fully ban safe, legal abortion. We have now seen fifteen state bans on abortion pass in the first five months of 2019, including attempts in Minnesota.
This year Republican legislators in our state introduced several abortion restrictions—including a six-week ban on abortion, a 20-week ban on abortion, and a mandatory ultrasound bill—all in an effort to make abortion inaccessible. These are all bills that were introduced by Republican elected officials right here in Minnesota.
The good news? Support for abortion access is at a record high—more than 7 in 10 Americans do not want to see Roe v. Wade overturned. Today, we sent a loud and clear message to politicians: Banning abortion is dangerous, deeply unpopular, and Minnesotans will not stand for it.
Joined by pro-choice legislators Sens. John Marty, Melisa Franzen, Scott Dibble, Melissa Wiklund, Karla Bigham and Susan Kent, as well as many champions in the DFL-controlled, pro-choice Minnesota House such as Rep. Liz Olson and Rep. Ruth Richardson, Minnesotans gathered on the steps of the state Capitol to show solidarity and stand firmly against abortion bans.
Pro-choice voters remain mobilized here in Minnesota and across the country. The 2018 election resulted in the strongest pro-reproductive health majority in the history of the Minnesota House. The stakes couldn’t be higher for the 2020 election—we must ensure Minnesotans can continue to get the reproductive health care they need, including abortion.
“In the past 46 years, people’s lives have changed for the better in so many ways and—we won’t go back. I’m not just talking about abortion—we have birth control, we have jobs and we expect an equal seat at the table. What’s at stake here is abortion but it’s also so much more—it’s about controlling our lives, our destiny, our future. This rally is beautiful but is just the start. We have so much work to do and we will be at it all the way through 2020.” - Sarah Stoesz, President, Planned Parenthood Minnesota, North Dakota, South Dakota Action Fund
Couldn’t make it to the rally? Here are some easy ways you can take action to say #StopTheBans and make sure these extreme bans don't go unchallenged.
- Sign the open letter. Tell extremist lawmakers that abortion IS health care. Add your name to say: No abortion bans. Not now, not ever.
- Sign up for a Planned Parenthood Action Fund volunteer training in your area. Events are being held across the country, so join us to channel your rage into action against these extreme bans.
- Get loud on social media. This is our time to show our power. Tweet this, or use the hashtag #StopTheBans on social media and tag us at @ppmn and @ppact
- Donate. These extreme bans put people's health and lives at stake. Make a gift to Planned Parenthood Action Fund to help us fight back against attacks on our reproductive health and rights.
Thank you to everyone who showed up and spoke up today to protect access to abortion. Together, we will ensure that abortion in Minnesota will remain safe and legal—no matter what.
Tags: minnesota