Minnesota prepares for influx of patients from Iowa as abortion ban takes effect
BLOOMINGTON, Minnesota — Medical providers and government officials in Minnesota are preparing to welcome patients traveling from Iowa, where a ban on most abortions After about six weeks of pregnancy it starts on Monday.
On Thursday, Minnesota Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan visited Whole Woman’s Health of Minnesota, a nonprofit abortion clinic in the city of Bloomington. She welcomed Iowans seeking abortions after the state new restrictions come into effect.
Previously, abortion was legal up to 20 weeks of pregnancy in Iowa. The new ban on the procedure is after six weeks of pregnancy, which is often before women know they are pregnant. There are limited exceptions in cases of rape, incest, fetal abnormality, or when the mother’s life is in danger.
Sarah Traxler, a gynecologist in Minnesota and chief medical officer of Planned Parenthood North Central States, said the Iowa law could have implications for the entire region.
“When the Dobbs ruling was made, many of the patients coming to Iowa were from Missouri,” Traxler said in an interview with Minnesota Public Radio“This will have a huge impact on the region itself, especially the Midwest and the South.”
The Iowa Supreme Court repeated in June that there is no constitutional right to abortion in the state and ordered the law struck down. The district judge’s orders last week set July 29 as the first day of enforcement.
Across the country, the state of abortion access has been changing since the Supreme Court’s decision in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization. Trigger laws have gone into effect immediately, new restrictions have been passed, lawsuits have stayed them, and in some places, access has expanded.
In states with restrictions, major abortion options are pills by mail or underground networks And travelingenormous increase demand in states with greater access.
Whole Woman’s Health of Minnesota has served patients from South Dakota, Nebraska, Wisconsin, Indiana, Texas, Oklahoma, Tennessee, Florida and Arkansas in the past year. Amy Hagstrom Miller, the clinic’s founder and CEO, said she expects patient demand to increase after Iowa’s restrictions go into effect.
Flanagan said Minnesota will continue to commit to serving people traveling from other states seeking abortion care.
“If you’re scared, come to Minnesota,” Flanagan said. “We’ve got you.”