Lydia Krueger
St. Cloud State University student
President, Students for Choice
As the legislative session prepares to begin in Minnesota, I am reflecting on our wins during the last session.
I am grateful for the progressive majority we elected and the overdue pro-choice successes that were achieved, but I am particularly proud of the bold leadership that helped to remove barriers to Minnesotan’s rights to access abortion and reproductive healthcare. I know the majority of Minnesotans support the right to an abortion, but the presence of minority extremist anti-choice rhetoric still seems to overshadow pro-choice efforts.
As a student at St. Cloud State University, this is especially important to me because I believe students and community members deserve to be honestly informed about their choices regarding their reproductive health and should not be shamed, manipulated or barred from accessing the care they need and deserve, under any circumstances.
This is true in St. Cloud and throughout the state, as well as for individuals across the country who are facing challenges and harm due to restrictions against access to safe and affordable reproductive care. Watching what is happening nationally with the mifepristone decision in courts and pregnant people facing criminal charges for having a miscarriage, I know it’s more important than ever Minnesota continues to lead the way by being a strong example of the importance of protecting abortion access and ensuring reproductive healthcare is affordable and accessible for all.