How some Northlanders are reacting to the latest abortion decisions

DULUTH, MN. (KBJR) - Since the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade one local abortion provider has seen an increase in patients.

The WE Health Clinic is the only abortion clinic in the Northland.

“We have gotten some calls from people out of state that we normally wouldn’t,” Paulina Briggs, a Lab Supervisor at the clinic said.

The clinic hasn’t only scheduled more appointments for people coming from out of state, but also from the Twin Cities.

“So we’re the only abortion provider outside the metro area,” said Briggs, “so we already have been serving Northern Wisconsin and the Upper Peninsula of Michigan.”

After a judge struck down state abortion restrictions this week, the clinic has had to change some of its policies and practices.

One of those policies is the 24-hour waiting period for patients.

“We have suspended doing the 24-hour information ahead of time and we’re also no longer requiring that minors notify their parents before making an appointment with us,” Briggs said.

The 24-hour waiting period mandated patients having to receive information from their provider 24 hours before making their appointment.

The permanent injunction also took away the provision that said minors who scheduled an abortion had to notify both of their parents.

“So it was really just a lot of barriers and it was really intimidating for a minor to go to court,” she said.

Not everyone is happy about the court’s latest decisions.

“Well our hope would be to see people of Minnesota, as a whole, oppose this,” Tom Schaer, the Director of Pro-Life Ministries of Duluth, said.

Schaer said the decision that overturned Roe v Wade at the end of June spurred important conversations.

“The people on the state level to have a part in a dialogue,” he said.

Ultimately, he wants to see those conversations continue.

“That’s why a key phrase and our aim here on the ground in Duluth is to engage in those meaningful conversations,” Schaer said.

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