February 18, 2025 | Press Release
ST. PAUL — Over the last two days, the Minnesota Legislature's Reproductive Freedom Caucus and other advocates have touted the so-called Equal Rights Amendment (ERA), which (among other things) would enshrine unlimited abortion in the state Constitution. ERA proponents have highlighted polling they say shows support for the amendment, but Minnesotans polled were not told that the amendment includes abortion at all.
"Minnesota already has abortion-up-to-birth in state law. Some advocates want to make that extreme policy permanent in our state Constitution," said MCCL Co-Executive Director Cathy Blaeser. "But when Minnesotans are asked about this abortion policy or about what the proposed amendment would actually do, they don't support it."
Indeed, multiple polls have shown that most Minnesotans do not favor a policy of abortion without limits, and a KSTP/SurveyUSA poll last year found that 64 percent of Minnesotans didn’t want abortion included as part of the ERA.
The poll touted today by ERA proponents used the same language that would appear on the ballot for voters to consider if the ERA bill passes. But that language does not match the actual amendment that would be adopted. The amendment would protect unlimited abortion (described as the "decision whether to ... remain pregnant"), but the language put before voters would only mention protection from discrimination on the basis of "pregnancy."
"The ERA bill and this poll are both flagrantly dishonest," said Blaeser. "Voters are led to believe that they're protecting pregnant women from discrimination, not enshrining a sweeping mandate of abortion-up-to-birth that most Minnesotans don't want."