A debate in the Minnesota Legislature over whether to combine abortion and equal rights into the same constitutional amendment question to put before voters in 2026 is likely to be one of the fiercest discussions during the final week of session.

According to our exclusive new KSTP/SurveyUSA poll, 64% of registered voters surveyed say the two issues should be handled separately rather than in the same bill. Twenty-four percent say they should be in the same constitutional amendment and 13% say they’re not sure.

Supporters of combining the ERA and abortion issues into one question to put before voters said last week they are related. “In 2023 alone in states across the country, over one thousand bills aimed at restricting reproductive rights and attacking the rights of LBGQT people with hundreds enacted into law,” said Megan Peterson of Gender Justice.

Opponents say the proposed wording of the amendment and avoiding the use of the word “abortion” is deceptive. “I think all of you know that a prohibition of discrimination on the basis of pregnancy is not an accurate summary of this egregious bill,” testified Carrena Falls, an abortion rights opponent.

Abortion opponents also claim most Minnesotans don’t support abortion up until birth with no restrictions. State law allows that under a bill passed last year called the “Protect Reproductive Options Act (PRO Act).”

“This bill conceals abortion up to birth in innocuous language and attempts to dupe Minnesota citizens,” Cathy Blaeser of Minnesota Citizens Concerned for Life testified last week.

In our new survey, 51% of registered Minnesota voters surveyed say they oppose abortion until birth with no restrictions in the PRO Act, while 37% approve and 12% are not sure.

However, when asked generally whether the right to abortion should be included in the Minnesota Constitution, 43% agree, 38% disagree and 19% are not sure.

SurveyUSA interviewed 825 adults from the state of Minnesota 05/08/24 through 05/11/24. Of the adults, 710 were identified as being registered to vote and were asked the questions which follow. This research was conducted online, using nonprobability sample of online adult panelists chosen randomly by Lucid Holdings LLC of New Orleans. The combined pool of survey respondents was weighted to US Census ACS targets for gender, age, race, education, and home ownership, and to recalled 2020 presidential vote.