St. Paul, MN – Last week while Republicans in Congress voted to take health care away from millions and defund Planned Parenthood, the Republican-led legislature in Minnesota passed two anti-abortion bills that would have severely cut off access to reproductive health care. Today, Governor Mark Dayton stood with Minnesota women by vetoing them both.
SF702 and HF809 would have prohibited women who use state Medicaid for their health insurance from accessing abortion. SF704 and HF812 would have singled out abortion providers for medically unnecessary restrictions in order to reduce access to abortion.
The following is a statement from Sarah Stoesz, President of the Planned Parenthood Minnesota, North Dakota, South Dakota Action Fund.
“Minnesota women are deeply grateful that Governor Dayton is once again using his veto pen to protect a woman’s constitutionally protected right to abortion. A woman should be able to make decisions about her pregnancy with her doctor, based on what’s best for her health, not on how she receives her health insurance. Nor should she experience barriers to care based on laws that impose medically unnecessary restrictions for abortion providers.”
“Governor Dayton promised to veto these bills months ago – and he did. Nevertheless, Minnesota legislators spent precious taxpayer resources and time in pursuit of bills that they knew had no chance of becoming law. It’s time for these politicians to get to work on the things Minnesotans elected them to do – making sure kids can read and write and that all Minnesotans can have jobs and health care.”
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Founded in 1992, the Planned Parenthood Minnesota, North Dakota, South Dakota Action Fund is an independent, non-partisan, non-profit organization. As the advocacy and electoral arm of PPMNS, we mobilize supporters of all parties to defend and increase access to family planning services and fact based, medically accurate sexuality education. We work to inspire and engage citizens to take up the cause of reproductive health and rights through education, electoral activity, grassroots organizing and legislative advocacy.
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