Advocates Call On City Of Minneapolis To Publicly Fund Abortions

MINNEAPOLIS — During a rally at the state Capitol for abortion rights on Sunday, groups Our Justice and Pro-Choice Minnesota called on the city of Minneapolis to provide funding for abortions.

Following the U.S. Supreme Court's decision to overturn Roe. v. Wade, Our Justice says it expects a "dramatic increase" in people traveling to Minnesota for abortion. Of its immediate neighbors, the state of Minnesota has the least restrictive abortion laws in effect.

Minneapolis Council Members Aisha Chughtai and Robin Wonsley, along with the local abortion rights groups, are calling on Mayor Jacob Frey to include funding for abortion in his upcoming proposed budget.

"Cost is one of the biggest barriers to abortion access, with most first-trimester abortions starting at $500," said Shayla Walker, executive director of Our Justice, in a statement.

Advocates said Frey should follow the examples set by cities like Austin, New York City, and Chicago in the wake of Roe v. Wade being overturned.

"We’re calling on Mayor Frey to affirm his commitment to making Minneapolis a ‘safe haven’ for abortion access through direct funding, because without financial support the legal right is not sufficient in ensuring that people can actually access the abortion care they need," said Maggie Meyer, executive director at Pro-Choice Minnesota.

While abortion remains legal in Minnesota, the state's western neighbors, North and South Dakota, have enacted near-complete abortion bans. To Minnesota's south and east, Iowa and Wisconsin already have laws on the books that ban abortion.

Many other states throughout the Midwest and south have banned abortion.