Reproductive Freedom Caucus vows to defend Minnesota rights as federal, state threats grow

The Reproductive Freedom Caucus, led by Sen. Erin Maye Quade and Rep. Lee Finke, said Tuesday it will work to protect the reproductive laws passed in recent legislative sessions and warned that federal actions and new state bills could reduce access to abortion and related care in Minnesota.

The caucus leaders spoke at a press event to outline priorities including a state-level push for the Equal Rights Amendment, defending the Protect Reproductive Options Act of 2023, opposing several Republican-sponsored bills they say would restrict care for pregnant people and trans students, and pressing for restoration of federal research funding they say has been frozen.

Why it matters: caucus leaders said federal enforcement of long-dormant statutes and reductions in federal research funding could have immediate effects on clinical care and access in Minnesota, while bills introduced in the Minnesota Legislature could roll back protections adopted over the last two years.

Sen. Erin Maye Quade, co-chair of the caucus, flagged one specific federal risk: enforcement of the Comstock Act, a 19th‑century federal statute she said could be used to restrict mailing of abortion-related drugs and equipment. "Can we still mail medication abortion to people? Can we still mail speculums and things that are used for pap smears or delivering children?" Quade asked, saying the state cannot stop enforcement of a…