Minnesota Senate passes bill that would protect abortion rights in state law

ST. PAUL, Minn. -- After more than 14 hours of debate, the Minnesota Senate passed legislation that would codify abortion rights in the state; it now heads to the governor's desk for signature.

The Protect Reproductive Options Act, also known as the PRO Act, passed in the Minnesota House last week. It states that Minnesotans have a "fundamental right" to an abortion and reproductive health care like fertility treatments and contraception.

The bill passed on a party-line vote early Saturday morning. Republicans tried to add in dozens of amendments that would have restriction abortion access. Abortion rights supporters and opponents demonstrated in the Capitol Friday ahead of the vote.

Democrats who control the House, Senate, and governor's office have said that this bill is one of their top priorities since Roe v. Wade was struck down in June.

"This past election voters spoke decisively and told us they believe every Minnesotan should be able to make their own reproductive health care decisions," said Rep. Carlie Kotyza-Witthuhn, DFL-Eden Prairie.

Abortion rights in Minnesota are already protected because a Doe v. Gomez, a 1995 Minnesota Supreme Court decision. Democrats frame the bill as a "secondary" line of defense to that ruling. There is another proposal moving through the DFL-controlled legislature that would also remove restrictions from statute language that were struck down by another lower court ruling last year.

Republican Senate Minority Leader Mark Johnson called the bill "extreme" and said he was "disappointed" that the amendments Republicans suggested were rejected.