March 23, 2023
A bill that offers legal protection to patients who travel to Minnesota for an abortion and for the healthcare providers who treat them, passed the Minnesota House of Representatives, 68-62, on March 20.
The bill, HF366 (Agbaje, DFL – Minneapolis), known as the “Reproductive Freedom Defense Act (RFDA), would prevent state courts or officials from complying with extraditions, arrests or subpoenas related to care received in Minnesota and allow someone facing an abortion-related case against them in another state to countersue for associated costs, damages and attorney’s fees. There are currently seven other states that offer such protections against legal penalties in other states.
The MMA shared a letter of support on the House floor the night of the vote. In its letter, the MMA stated that “healthcare decisions are deeply personal and must be made by the patient, based on what is best for that patient, with the input and advice of their healthcare professional. This is especially true for reproductive health.”
The letter went on to argue that “Minnesota clinicians providing reproductive care, and patients receiving such care, must be protected from out-of-state legal repercussions associated with such services. The need for the protections offered in the RFDA are particularly important in the aftermath of the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe v. Wade.”
May 29, 2025
As the Legislature works to complete its work on the state’s two-year budget, another deadline is looming. Legislators are required to pass a balanced budget before the end of the fiscal year—June 30, 2025. If they don’t meet that deadline, the state will begin a partial shutdown.
May 29, 2025
Registration has opened for the Empowering Physicians: A Night of Reflection and Engagement event, featuring best-selling author Elisabeth Rosenthal, MD.
May 29, 2025
The AMA is encouraging physicians to contact their U.S. senators and urge them to revise the reconciliation bill passed recently by the U.S. House of Representatives. While the bill includes language that would stabilize Medicare physician payments, it also threatens to cripple Medicaid and CHIP.