What We’re Fighting for During the 2021 Minnesota Legislative Session

In the last year we’ve faced a pandemic, an insurrection, and the systemic racism that has plagued our country throughout its history. No matter what—we’re ready to fight for our health and our community.

Only a few weeks into legislative session, Planned Parenthood Minnesota, North Dakota, South Dakota Action Fund has begun the fight for sexual and reproductive health care, comprehensive and inclusive sex education, and investments in our Minnesota communities.

These local fights matter. As we celebrate the pro-reproductive health majority at the federal level, we’re keenly aware that we are still facing a conservative majority at the U.S. Supreme Court who could have their chance to rule on Roe v. Wade this year. And anti-abortion lawmakers in Minnesota have already introduced three abortion bans this year.

We will need your help throughout session to put pressure on legislators and raise awareness among friends, family, and networks of the ways we can improve Minnesota.

Here's what we're fighting for:

1. The Right to Make Your Own Health Care Decisions

2020 has shown us the immense importance of health care, well-being, and preventive medicine. Minnesotans need reproductive health care options, and with the conservative Supreme Court majority, we must act now to protect those options.

This session, we’re advocating for the Protect Reproductive Options (PRO) Act to:
•    establish the fundamental right of Minnesotans to make individual decisions about reproductive health care, including contraception, abortion, and pregnancy; and
•    prevent politicians from interfering with a person’s fundamental right to make their own reproductive health care decisions.

Contact your legislators and ask them to support the PRO Act now 

2. Protect and Expand of Birth Control Access

We believe all people deserve access to birth control. Minnesotans should have the ability to plan their families and their futures by accessing the birth control method that is right for them, regardless of cost and free of political interference. 

The Protect Access to Contraception (PAC) Act would:
•    require health insurance plans to cover birth control at no out-of-pocket cost; and
•    allow patients to receive up to a full-year supply of oral contraceptives at one time, covered by insurance.

Contact your legislators and ask them to support the PAC Act now 

3. Comprehensive Sex Education

Planned Parenthood North Central States’ sex educators and researchers have witnessed how comprehensive sex education supports healthy youth development, delays sexual activity, increases use of contraception when young folks become active, and teaches the importance of consent. 

That’s why we will support efforts to require sex ed in Minnesota schools that is:
•    medically accurate,
•    culturally specific,
•    age appropriate, and
•    inclusive

Contact your legislators and ask them to support comprehensive sex ed now 

4. Increased Funding for Sexual and Reproductive Health Care

Not all Minnesotans can afford the health care services they need to be healthy or plan their families. We need to make sure that all Minnesotans—regardless of where they live, what they look like, or how much money they make—can access and afford the health care they need. As part of the broader Reproductive Health Alliance, we will advocate for a significant increase to state family planning grant programs so that more Minnesotans can get what they need. 

5. Investment in Minnesota Communities

COVID-19 has laid bare and exasperated the inequities that Black, Latinx, indigenous, transgender, and differently abled Minnesotans endure. While our state faces a significant budget deficit, the people in our communities also face a shortage of resources and limited access to health care in the middle of a pandemic. We will advocate for investing in our communities and ensuring all Minnesotans have the health care they need, especially those who need it most. 

Here's what we're fighting against:

Abortion Bans

In the first few weeks of session, lawmakers already introduced three abortion bans that would fully ban abortion in Minnesota. We will fight to make sure abortion stays safe and legal in Minnesota, and that any restriction to access in Minnesota does not become law.
 

Together, we can protect our access to reproductive health care, abortion, birth control, comprehensive sex ed, and safer communities. Too many elected officials here in Minnesota want to take it away. We don’t know what the 2021 legislative session will bring, but we know we’ll be fighting for a stronger, healthier Minnesota, no matter what. We hope you’ll join us!