Judge strikes down most of Minnesota's abortion restrictions

ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) — A judge declared most of Minnesota's restrictions on abortion unconstitutional on Monday, including the state's mandatory 24-hour waiting period and a requirement that both parents be notified before a minor can get an abortion.

Ramsey County District Judge Thomas Gilligan also struck down Minnesota's requirements that only physicians can perform abortions and that abortions after the first trimester must be performed in hospitals. His order took effect immediately, meaning the limits can't be enforced.

The abortion rights groups behind the lawsuit said the ruling came at a crucial time, just over two weeks after the U.S. Supreme Court ruling that struck down the 1973 Roe v. Wade decision, which legalized abortion across the country. Providers have been preparing for a surge in patients from neighboring upper Midwest states, and even farther away, where abortion has become illegal or is expected to become restricted.

“It underscores that Minnesota has the need to serve as a leader in providing abortion care to millions that will need it across the country, especially those in our region,” said Erin Maye Quade, advocacy director for Gender Justice. Removing those “onerous barriers” will lead to even more people coming to Minnesota for abortion care, she added.

Gilligan ruled that the state's restrictions were unconstitutional under a landmark 1995 Minnesota Supreme Court ruling known as Doe v. Gomez, which held that the state constitution protects abortion rights. The judge called that case “significant and historic” and said it's unaffected by the recent U.S. Supreme Court ruling striking down the 1973 Roe v. Wade decision.

“These abortion laws violate the right to privacy because they infringe upon the fundamental right under the Minnesota...