Minnesota’s role as a regional safe haven for abortion access, trans rights, and those seeking refuge from oppression has never been more critical. However, this legislative session served as a stark reminder that we cannot take that status for granted. At the start of the session, some lawmakers swiftly introduced harmful bills targeting abortion rights, trans people, and gender equity, highlighting the ongoing threats to these fundamental protections.
To stay up-to-date on the latest legislative news and get involved, sign up for email updates.
The Minnesota Equal Rights Amendment would guarantee every Minnesotan the same rights under the law. It would offer everyone the strongest possible protections against discrimination by the state based on race, color, national origin, ancestry, disability, or sex — including pregnancy decisions, gender identity or gender expression, or sexual orientation.
Bill Numbers: SF 437 / HF 501
Chief Authors: Sen. Mary Kunesh, Rep. Leigh Finke
Gender Justice, alongside our partners, is leading efforts to strengthen the Minnesota Safe and Supportive Schools Act and clarify the state opt-out law so that students can not be opted out of any mention of or content related to LGBTQ+ families, leaders, and community members.
Funding is essential to make Minnesota a state where abortion is truly accessible. This year, an abortion clinic in Minnesota had to shut down because of inadequate funding, and other clinics are struggling to stay open. The Reproductive Health Equity Fund (RHEF) would allocate $30 million directly to abortion providers, ensuring a sustainable provider network. For too long, Minnesota abortion clinics have been excluded from state family planning funds for political reasons—this bill corrects that injustice.
Bill Numbers: SF 183 / HF 1278
Chief Authors: Sen. Lindsey Port, Rep. Mike Frieberg
A so-called “Born-Alive Bill” (HF 24) was introduced to target abortion providers and interfere with critical health care options for people facing complex and often painful decisions later in pregnancy.
Bill Number: HF 24
Chief Author: Rep. Krista Knudsen
A proposed bill (HF 435) seeks to force the Department of Corrections to violate the Minnesota Human Rights Act by housing trans inmates based on their assigned sex at birth, exposing them to violence and harassment. Gender Justice has fought—and won—cases like Lusk v. Minnesota Department of Corrections to affirm the right of trans women to be housed safely, and we will fight this bill, too.
Bill Number: HF 435
Chief Author: Rep. Mary Frason
A bill (HF 12) was introduced to ban trans girls and women from participating in sports. Not only is this policy morally wrong, but it is also illegal under the Minnesota Human Rights Act.
Bill Number: HF 12
Chief Author: Rep. Carla Nelson
This bill seeks to redirect $4 million from the Minnesota Department of Health’s budget to deceptive and unregulated anti-abortion centers, also known as crisis pregnancy centers (CPCs).
Bill Number: HF 25
Chief Author: Rep. Natalie Zeleznikar
With your financial support, Gender Justice can continue to fight hard for our clients and push the laws forward in our legislature. Be there with us as we work to bring about big, systemic change. Give today.