Topline
North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum (R) signed legislation that bans nearly all abortions in the state, one of the country’s most restrictive anti-abortion measures to go into effect since the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade last year.
North Dakota Governor Doug Burgum.
Key Facts
North Dakota’s law bans the procedure in all circumstances after six weeks of pregnancy, even in cases of rape and incest.
In the first six weeks of pregnancy, the procedure will also be only accessible to victims of rape and incest, and the law also includes an additional exception for instances where the woman may be facing a serious health risk.
Burgum said the legislation “clarifies and refines existing state law” and reaffirms North Dakota’s status as a “pro-life state,” the Associated Press reported, citing a statement from the governor’s office.
The law is set to go into effect immediately.
News Peg
Last month, North Dakota’s Supreme Court upheld a lower court’s decision to block an earlier abortion ban implemented by the state as a case to determine its constitutional validity is ongoing. According to the Associated Press, lawmakers have said the passage of the new law intends to send a “message” to the state’s top court that “This is what this Legislature wants. We want pro-life in North Dakota.”
Chief Critic
The Red River Women’s Clinic—the state’s only abortion clinic, which had to shut down after the previous ban went into effect—issued a =AZVAM2a-srEaQ-ZpwZXqvitjgPSxiy73A3vU7xjwyYVnOorsY6SjeFioGLdIm0YT0rU4BYMJ6dBzH7ZSVr5CtDVlzh32YbGbeVov30vzzqq8fB8sIzB2cp1t2U69UaXd66V6S9JNtTpscQ5tmsryfMOj0wLk0R44Ase9oSDGKGmhpIHOWw2jxmHOL6kglnugeQk&__tn__=%2CO%2CP-R” target=”_blank” class=”color-link” title=”https://www.facebook.com/RRWomensClinic/posts/pfbid02hxZuKBk5SmfkFiUpkTt21mGmFPUA7GTtoCkcGJuJGgG6Kme4V1jnMkWgiixgq7DLl?__cft__[0]=AZVAM2a-srEaQ-ZpwZXqvitjgPSxiy73A3vU7xjwyYVnOorsY6SjeFioGLdIm0YT0rU4BYMJ6dBzH7ZSVr5CtDVlzh32YbGbeVov30vzzqq8fB8sIzB2cp1t2U69UaXd66V6S9JNtTpscQ5tmsryfMOj0wLk0R44Ase9oSDGKGmhpIHOWw2jxmHOL6kglnugeQk&__tn__=%2CO%2CP-R” rel=”nofollow noopener”>statement on Facebook saying: “With apparently no hesitation, Governor Burgum signed a near total ban on abortion…What a disappointment for North Dakota.” The clinic’s director Tammi Kromenaker told the New York Times that the new near-total ban is “an assault on bodily autonomy and abortion rights.”
Key Background
North Dakota is the fourteenth state to implement an outright ban on abortion after Alabama, Arkansas, Idaho, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, West Virginia and Wisconsin. Earlier this month, Florida became the second state after Georgia to ban the procedure of the six weeks—which most experts believe is too early for most women to even become aware of a pregnancy. Bans in some other states like South Carolina and Wyoming remain held up in court.
Further Reading
North Dakota governor signs law banning nearly all abortions (Associated Press)
Source: https://www.forbes.com/sites/siladityaray/2023/04/25/north-dakota-governor-signs-legislation-banning-nearly-all-abortions/