Minnesota case weighs right to emergency contraception

AITKIN, Minn. (AP) — A trial in Minnesota is expected to decide whether a woman’s human rights were violated when a pharmacist denied her request in 2019 to fill a prescription for emergency contraception. Andrea Anderson, a mother of five from McGregor, sued under the Minnesota Human Rights Act after the pharmacist refused to accommodate her request due to his religious beliefs. State law prohibits discrimination based on sex, including issues related to pregnancy and childbirth. The trial in the civil case comes amid national political debate about contraception under federal law with the U.S. House last week passing a bill that would guarantee the right to contraception. Jury selection in Aitkin County was scheduled to start Monday, with the case expected to conclude before the end of the week.