A look back on the year following the Dobbs decision in Minnesota
People cheer on a speaker during an abortion rights march and protest at the Minnesota State Capitol on July 17.
Tim Evans for MPR News
One year ago this weekend, the U.S. Supreme Court overturned the federal right to an abortion and kicked the authority to decide legal guidelines back to the states.
MPR News reporters Dana Ferguson and Michelle Wiley dug into what happened in Minnesota and the surrounding region in the months that followed.
They joined MPR News senior producer Emily Bright to talk about what they learned from looking back on the first year since the decision in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization.
Use the audio player above to listen to the full conversation.
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Audio transcript
EMILY BRIGHT: One year ago this weekend, the US Supreme Court overturned the federal right to an abortion and kicked the authority back to the states to decide legal guidelines. Our reporters Dana Ferguson and Michelle Wiley spent some time digging into what happened in Minnesota and around the region in the months that followed, and they join me now. Hello to both of you.
Hi
MICHELLE WILEY: Hey.
EMILY BRIGHT: Hey. Michelle, let's go to you first. Why did you decide to delve into this subject?
MICHELLE WILEY: Yeah. I mean, it's been the story of the year in some ways. We wanted to look back, because so much has happened and quite a bit has changed in Minnesota, thanks both to courts and legislators. And our state is also unique in the region.
Folks may remember that shortly after the Supreme Court's ruling last year, a Ramsey County judge overturned many of Minnesota's abortion restrictions. So while elsewhere, the Supreme Court ruling triggered laws in some states, spurred legislators in GOP-led states to pass restrictions or bans, Minnesota really went kind of in the opposite direction and passed laws that made accessing care a little easier in some circumstances. And lawmakers really continued that throughout the session, setting up new protections for people who travel here for abortions.
EMILY BRIGHT: Yes. Getting into those laws, Dana, you covered the election and the legislative session, how significant was the Supreme Court's ruling in what came to pass in St. Paul?
DANA FERGUSON: Democrats really focused on the issue of abortion in their campaigns, and they committed to cementing the right to abortion in law if they won control of the Capitol. And that message, as we know now, resonated with voters even when Republicans were projected to hold the Senate and potentially win the House. The day after the election, right away, DFLers said this was the issue that got them the trifecta in St. Paul.
And they committed to eliminating laws that restricted abortion and putting in place new ones that would ensure access in Minnesota. And, for the first time, Democrats had majorities that supported expanding access to abortion. In years past, Democrats might have had majorities, but they had members within those ranks who wouldn't support abortion policy changes.
EMILY BRIGHT: So what were they able to pass with those majorities and the Governor's backing?
DANA FERGUSON: Yeah. Just about everything that they wanted to pass, they passed this year. Right out of the gate, lawmakers passed the Pro Act, which guaranteed in state law the right to reproductive health care, including abortion. And then a few weeks later, they created legal protections for patients coming to Minnesota for abortions and for providers in the state. And then, finally, on the last day of session, they approved a vast health and human services bill that wiped out restrictions on abortion, like a 24 hour waiting period, reporting requirements, and a mandate that a minor gets signoff from both parents to get an abortion.
EMILY BRIGHT: Turning to you, Michelle, can you talk about how those protections set Minnesota apart in the region? Lawmakers in our neighboring states seem to have gone in the opposite direction.
MICHELLE WILEY: Yeah, that's right. So the Dobbs ruling triggered changes in some states like South Dakota that banned abortion except in cases where it's used to preserve the life of the pregnant person. In states like Wisconsin, there were state laws on the books from a long time ago, over 100 years ago, that went back into effect that ban abortion.
North Dakota lawmakers had a complete abortion ban, though that has been challenged in court. Iowa has, I believe, a 20 week limit unless the pregnant person has a medical emergency. So after lawmakers approved the Pro Act, Minnesota became kind of even more of an island of abortion access since there are no pregnancy term limits here since the session has ended.
We should say that even though that is the case, about half of the providers in the state only offer abortions through the first trimester. Just one clinic goes up to 23 weeks. We also only have eight brick and mortar providers, compared to a state like Illinois has over three times that number. So that's significant. And it's also interesting, because while the laws made it easier for people to seek care, there's certainly more options now for getting medication abortion and accessing telehealth-- but when it comes going to a clinic, it can still be pretty tough.
EMILY BRIGHT: Taken altogether, that is quite a big shift. Michelle, what have you heard from abortion providers about how things have changed since the Dobbs decision?
MICHELLE WILEY: Yeah, we've heard from providers around the state that demand has increased since the ruling. Some of that was expected after the decision, in large part because of what we talked about-- neighboring states restricting access or banning it altogether. Planned Parenthood told us they saw out of state patient counts double in the months following the ruling compared to the year prior.
They said in some cases, more patients were seeking procedural abortions rather than medication abortions since more were coming to the state for an abortion in the second trimester. At the same time, organizations like Just the Pill, which provides medication abortions, say they've also seen a spike in requests. Medical directors for the clinics said they were used to seeing patients from the region prior to Dobbs-- in places like Wisconsin and North Dakota, that's always kind of been the case.
But they've seen more people coming from like Texas, Louisiana, Arkansas, other states where abortion has been banned or really heavily restricted. And the influx is also changing where Twin Cities patients go, in some cases. As it gets harder to make appointments in the Cities, they might drive to a place like Duluth to seek care.
EMILY BRIGHT: Wow. How has that influx of patients affected what providers can do, Dana?
DANA FERGUSON: It varies. But overall, abortion providers say that they've had to adapt to accommodate the traveling patients while also seeing Minnesota patients. Planned Parenthood said it has shifted to telehealth appointments and medication abortion services for people who live in Minnesota. And they say that has freed up some capacity to see more out-of-state patients in their clinics.
Other clinics have said they're also working to meet the increased need and are doing whatever they can to see patients. And Planned Parenthood said it's considering expanding at least one of its clinics just because of that demand.
EMILY BRIGHT: Michelle, what have abortion access advocates said about the changes?
MICHELLE WILEY: Yeah. Certainly, it depends on who you talk to. But overall, folks say they're really pleased seeing these restrictions lift. And it has helped them address the demand. For one, the elimination of the 24 hour waiting period, the requirement that a physician perform an abortion-- getting rid of those things helped free up more capacity for clinics to see patients.
Ending parental notification laws freed up time that clinic workers would have spent tracking down maybe an estranged parent or helping a minor access a judicial bypass. All those things take time, and there are things that now they can use that time on other things. Overall, these advocates say they're just really pleased with what got done this year between the state courts and the legislature.
The changes are some of the biggest Minnesota has seen in, I think, generations. And they came at a time when providers say they really needed it.
EMILY BRIGHT: Now, Dana, I know you spoke with groups that oppose abortion. How are they feeling after the legislative session? I can't imagine they're thrilled.
DANA FERGUSON: And you would be right about that. They're deeply frustrated and they're really fired up after the session. Minnesota Citizens Concerned for Life and Minnesota Family Council are two of the groups that oppose the law changes at the Capitol.
And they said they think the policies are really out of step with what Minnesotans want. They're planning to campaign ahead of the next legislative session and into 2024 against the new laws, as well as the legislators who put them in place. They agree that abortion was an important issue for voters last year, but they say that dropping gestational term limits for abortion, reporting requirements, and other restrictions that were on the books for a long time just wasn't the right way to do that. And they say they've heard a lot of anger from their members about what happened at the Capitol this year.
EMILY BRIGHT: Lawmakers also moved to boost funding to clinics that offer abortion, while cutting funding for centers that discourage against abortion, right?
DANA FERGUSON: Yeah, that's right. DFL lawmakers, as part of their bigger health bill, zeroed out funding for those so-called crisis pregnancy centers, because they said some provided medically inaccurate information. And directors of those centers reject that assessment and they say that without that funding, they'll have to cut staff or programs. The centers provide pregnancy tests and ultrasounds, coaching for pregnant people and parenting classes, as well as free baby clothes and supplies.
EMILY BRIGHT: Michelle, as part of this project, I know that you and MPR News Producer Samantha Strus has also collected feedback from people about the Supreme Court ruling and how they're processing one year later. What did you hear from them?
MICHELLE WILEY: Yeah. We heard from a lot of people who were really angry and upset. And some said while they're happy about how Minnesota's lawmakers have championed abortion access, they still feel really distressed. Some people said they feel like they don't want to leave the state, that they're afraid to leave the state.
I heard from one person who said they decided to get a vasectomy after the Dobbs decision. People say they feel powerless-- just a lot of really strong emotions, especially coming up to this anniversary. At the same time time, we also heard from folks who are anti-abortion, who say this year was really disappointing for them at the legislature. And they say the bills that passed were too extreme.
EMILY BRIGHT: Well, Dana Ferguson and Michelle Wiley, thank you so much for your work and for joining us today.
DANA FERGUSON: Thanks for having us.
MICHELLE WILEY: Thank you.
EMILY BRIGHT: And you can follow their five part series on the year after Roe v Wade was overturned. That's online at mprnews.org.
Hi
MICHELLE WILEY: Hey.
EMILY BRIGHT: Hey. Michelle, let's go to you first. Why did you decide to delve into this subject?
MICHELLE WILEY: Yeah. I mean, it's been the story of the year in some ways. We wanted to look back, because so much has happened and quite a bit has changed in Minnesota, thanks both to courts and legislators. And our state is also unique in the region.
Folks may remember that shortly after the Supreme Court's ruling last year, a Ramsey County judge overturned many of Minnesota's abortion restrictions. So while elsewhere, the Supreme Court ruling triggered laws in some states, spurred legislators in GOP-led states to pass restrictions or bans, Minnesota really went kind of in the opposite direction and passed laws that made accessing care a little easier in some circumstances. And lawmakers really continued that throughout the session, setting up new protections for people who travel here for abortions.
EMILY BRIGHT: Yes. Getting into those laws, Dana, you covered the election and the legislative session, how significant was the Supreme Court's ruling in what came to pass in St. Paul?
DANA FERGUSON: Democrats really focused on the issue of abortion in their campaigns, and they committed to cementing the right to abortion in law if they won control of the Capitol. And that message, as we know now, resonated with voters even when Republicans were projected to hold the Senate and potentially win the House. The day after the election, right away, DFLers said this was the issue that got them the trifecta in St. Paul.
And they committed to eliminating laws that restricted abortion and putting in place new ones that would ensure access in Minnesota. And, for the first time, Democrats had majorities that supported expanding access to abortion. In years past, Democrats might have had majorities, but they had members within those ranks who wouldn't support abortion policy changes.
EMILY BRIGHT: So what were they able to pass with those majorities and the Governor's backing?
DANA FERGUSON: Yeah. Just about everything that they wanted to pass, they passed this year. Right out of the gate, lawmakers passed the Pro Act, which guaranteed in state law the right to reproductive health care, including abortion. And then a few weeks later, they created legal protections for patients coming to Minnesota for abortions and for providers in the state. And then, finally, on the last day of session, they approved a vast health and human services bill that wiped out restrictions on abortion, like a 24 hour waiting period, reporting requirements, and a mandate that a minor gets signoff from both parents to get an abortion.
EMILY BRIGHT: Turning to you, Michelle, can you talk about how those protections set Minnesota apart in the region? Lawmakers in our neighboring states seem to have gone in the opposite direction.
MICHELLE WILEY: Yeah, that's right. So the Dobbs ruling triggered changes in some states like South Dakota that banned abortion except in cases where it's used to preserve the life of the pregnant person. In states like Wisconsin, there were state laws on the books from a long time ago, over 100 years ago, that went back into effect that ban abortion.
North Dakota lawmakers had a complete abortion ban, though that has been challenged in court. Iowa has, I believe, a 20 week limit unless the pregnant person has a medical emergency. So after lawmakers approved the Pro Act, Minnesota became kind of even more of an island of abortion access since there are no pregnancy term limits here since the session has ended.
We should say that even though that is the case, about half of the providers in the state only offer abortions through the first trimester. Just one clinic goes up to 23 weeks. We also only have eight brick and mortar providers, compared to a state like Illinois has over three times that number. So that's significant. And it's also interesting, because while the laws made it easier for people to seek care, there's certainly more options now for getting medication abortion and accessing telehealth-- but when it comes going to a clinic, it can still be pretty tough.
EMILY BRIGHT: Taken altogether, that is quite a big shift. Michelle, what have you heard from abortion providers about how things have changed since the Dobbs decision?
MICHELLE WILEY: Yeah, we've heard from providers around the state that demand has increased since the ruling. Some of that was expected after the decision, in large part because of what we talked about-- neighboring states restricting access or banning it altogether. Planned Parenthood told us they saw out of state patient counts double in the months following the ruling compared to the year prior.
They said in some cases, more patients were seeking procedural abortions rather than medication abortions since more were coming to the state for an abortion in the second trimester. At the same time, organizations like Just the Pill, which provides medication abortions, say they've also seen a spike in requests. Medical directors for the clinics said they were used to seeing patients from the region prior to Dobbs-- in places like Wisconsin and North Dakota, that's always kind of been the case.
But they've seen more people coming from like Texas, Louisiana, Arkansas, other states where abortion has been banned or really heavily restricted. And the influx is also changing where Twin Cities patients go, in some cases. As it gets harder to make appointments in the Cities, they might drive to a place like Duluth to seek care.
EMILY BRIGHT: Wow. How has that influx of patients affected what providers can do, Dana?
DANA FERGUSON: It varies. But overall, abortion providers say that they've had to adapt to accommodate the traveling patients while also seeing Minnesota patients. Planned Parenthood said it has shifted to telehealth appointments and medication abortion services for people who live in Minnesota. And they say that has freed up some capacity to see more out-of-state patients in their clinics.
Other clinics have said they're also working to meet the increased need and are doing whatever they can to see patients. And Planned Parenthood said it's considering expanding at least one of its clinics just because of that demand.
EMILY BRIGHT: Michelle, what have abortion access advocates said about the changes?
MICHELLE WILEY: Yeah. Certainly, it depends on who you talk to. But overall, folks say they're really pleased seeing these restrictions lift. And it has helped them address the demand. For one, the elimination of the 24 hour waiting period, the requirement that a physician perform an abortion-- getting rid of those things helped free up more capacity for clinics to see patients.
Ending parental notification laws freed up time that clinic workers would have spent tracking down maybe an estranged parent or helping a minor access a judicial bypass. All those things take time, and there are things that now they can use that time on other things. Overall, these advocates say they're just really pleased with what got done this year between the state courts and the legislature.
The changes are some of the biggest Minnesota has seen in, I think, generations. And they came at a time when providers say they really needed it.
EMILY BRIGHT: Now, Dana, I know you spoke with groups that oppose abortion. How are they feeling after the legislative session? I can't imagine they're thrilled.
DANA FERGUSON: And you would be right about that. They're deeply frustrated and they're really fired up after the session. Minnesota Citizens Concerned for Life and Minnesota Family Council are two of the groups that oppose the law changes at the Capitol.
And they said they think the policies are really out of step with what Minnesotans want. They're planning to campaign ahead of the next legislative session and into 2024 against the new laws, as well as the legislators who put them in place. They agree that abortion was an important issue for voters last year, but they say that dropping gestational term limits for abortion, reporting requirements, and other restrictions that were on the books for a long time just wasn't the right way to do that. And they say they've heard a lot of anger from their members about what happened at the Capitol this year.
EMILY BRIGHT: Lawmakers also moved to boost funding to clinics that offer abortion, while cutting funding for centers that discourage against abortion, right?
DANA FERGUSON: Yeah, that's right. DFL lawmakers, as part of their bigger health bill, zeroed out funding for those so-called crisis pregnancy centers, because they said some provided medically inaccurate information. And directors of those centers reject that assessment and they say that without that funding, they'll have to cut staff or programs. The centers provide pregnancy tests and ultrasounds, coaching for pregnant people and parenting classes, as well as free baby clothes and supplies.
EMILY BRIGHT: Michelle, as part of this project, I know that you and MPR News Producer Samantha Strus has also collected feedback from people about the Supreme Court ruling and how they're processing one year later. What did you hear from them?
MICHELLE WILEY: Yeah. We heard from a lot of people who were really angry and upset. And some said while they're happy about how Minnesota's lawmakers have championed abortion access, they still feel really distressed. Some people said they feel like they don't want to leave the state, that they're afraid to leave the state.
I heard from one person who said they decided to get a vasectomy after the Dobbs decision. People say they feel powerless-- just a lot of really strong emotions, especially coming up to this anniversary. At the same time time, we also heard from folks who are anti-abortion, who say this year was really disappointing for them at the legislature. And they say the bills that passed were too extreme.
EMILY BRIGHT: Well, Dana Ferguson and Michelle Wiley, thank you so much for your work and for joining us today.
DANA FERGUSON: Thanks for having us.
MICHELLE WILEY: Thank you.
EMILY BRIGHT: And you can follow their five part series on the year after Roe v Wade was overturned. That's online at mprnews.org.
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