Gov. Walz shares his family’s fertility journey as Democrats look to guarantee access to treatments

Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz recalls with vivid clarity the day his wife Gwen called him crying.

Trying to start a family, they’d been going through fertility treatments at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester for seven years. Each time they hoped for good news, only to be told the treatments hadn’t worked.

“I said, ‘Not again,’” Walz recalled. “She said, ‘No, I’m pregnant.’ It’s not by chance that we named our daughter Hope.”

The DFL governor is opening up about his family’s experience going through fertility treatments in the wake of an Alabama Supreme Court ruling last month that said embryos created through in vitro fertilization (IVF) should be considered children. Several IVF clinics in Alabama immediately suspended treatments in response to the ruling, and lawmakers across the country are scrambling to shore up laws to prevent something similar from happening in their state.

Minnesota Democrats, who narrowly control the Legislature, are expected to propose adding language to a law passed last year codifying abortion rights to also guarantee access to IVF and fertility treatments.

“I think it was inconceivable that the Alabama Supreme Court would issue the kind of decision that they did without realizing the impacts that they have, so people are rightfully concerned and want to make sure our laws are clear in protecting their ability to access that health care,” said House Speaker Melissa Hortman, DFL-Brooklyn Park.

No bill has been introduced yet, but lawmakers are expected to debate language during the legislative session, which must adjourn in May.

Sen. Julia Coleman, R-Waconia, said that “while this language probably isn’t necessary, it’s also not the divisive issue Democrats want it to be.”

“There is no need for fear tactics on this issue,” she added. “Republicans support those who are struggling to grow their family, whether that’s through fertility treatments, adoption or foster care.”

Other legislation up for debate this year would require insurance plans to help cover the costs of fertility treatments. Not all plans currently cover the treatment, which can cost families tens of thousands of dollars per round of IVF.

The proposal cleared the House Commerce Committee last week, but it’s unclear if it will pass this year because it comes with a price tag for the state.

“There’s a lot of bipartisan support for that; it’s also a bill that has passed in red and blue states,” said House Majority Leader Jamie Long, DFL-Minneapolis. “It does have a cost, so I don’t know whether that will be a cost we can afford this year, but it is a really important discussion with a lot of support from the public.”

Vice President Kamala Harris will travel to Minnesota on Thursday as part of a tour promoting reproductive rights.

There’s been some debate over whether the language of the PRO Act, which codified abortion rights last year, already protects access to fertility treatments. Walz said extra clarity is needed after Alabama’s decision.

“For folks who said there’s redundancy in them, OK, but I want to build redundancy in them,” Walz said. “I’m going to build up the battlements around protection as much as I can.”

Correction: An earlier version of this story incorrectly used IVF in the headline. The family clarified that they used intrauterine insemination to conceive their daughter Hope. Due to a technical issue, the correction did not immediately appear.