Minnesota Legislature on path to historic protection and investment in sexual and reproductive health care
St. Paul, MN — Today, Minnesota Senate passed three bills critical to protecting health care and LGBTQ+ rights: The Reproductive Freedom Defense Act (RFDA) the Trans Refuge Bill, and the Conversion Therapy Ban. This comes as neighboring North Dakota banned gender-affirming care for minors just this week, joining Iowa and South Dakota in blocking vulnerable youth from accessing life-saving health care.
The RFDA and Trans Refuge Bill protect access to comprehensive, life-saving health care that has become politicized and sometimes banned in other states across the nation and upper Midwest. People accessing essential care in Minnesota deserve to do so without fear of prosecution, and doctors practicing in Minnesota deserve to care for patients without fear of criminal charges from other states.
Statement from Tim Stanley, executive director Planned Parenthood Minnesota, North Dakota, South Dakota Action Fund:
“It’s a critical moment in time to protect sexual and reproductive health care in Minnesota. As states across the country and around the region cut access to health care, we need to be working across the board to make sure people from all walks of life get the care they need and deserve.
This means expanding access to birth control, increasing funding for family planning services, protecting doctors and patients in Minnesota from out of state persecution. By investing in and expanding these services, Minnesota is sending a message: you belong here, and we will support you as you make decisions about your body and future.”
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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.
Visit us at www.plannedparenthoodadvocate.org
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