A coalition of medical providers, health care advocates and faith-based organizations filed a lawsuit today to overturn Minnesota laws that they say restrict access to abortion. At a press conference to announce the suit, Gender Justice Executive Director Megan Peterson said “enough is enough. Everyone has a right to abortion without being manipulated, judged or shamed as a result of unconstitutional laws.” The group is targeting laws involving two-parent notification requirements for young patients and that prevent trained nurse midwives and nurse practitioners from providing early abortion care–among others. But Paul Stark with Minnesota Citizens Concerned for Life calls the lawsuit “extreme” and adds “we think the lawsuit is very far-reaching, it targets laws that are very mainstream, very common sense, they’re the sort of things that most people can support.”
Peterson argues that “Minnesota’s abortion laws are not only outdated, they’re harmful, far too often they prevent people from getting the care they need when they need it.”