Last month, North Dakota governor Jack
Dalrymple signed into law three new measures that seriously tightened
restrictions on abortions in the state. The laws are the most restrictive
in the nation, with one measure banning most abortions after a heartbeat is detected—which
can be as early as six weeks into a pregnancy.
Immediately after signing the laws, it became clear that
North Dakota will be a key participant in the continuing battle over a woman’s
right to an abortion. As donations surged unsolicited into the state’s single
abortion clinic, lawmakers were simultaneously told to prepare for the
inevitable legal battle over the measures.
“Although the likelihood of this measure surviving a court
challenge remains in question,” Dalrymple said, “this bill is nevertheless a
legitimate attempt by a state legislature to discover the boundaries of Roe v.
Wade.” The groundbreaking 1973 ruling allows abortions until a fetus becomes
viable, between 22 and 24 weeks.
And though the fight over abortion rights is often considered
from a religious standpoint for many, Dalrymple says that’s not what drove him
to sign the laws. He studied the fetal heartbeat bill and says he educated
himself to the best of his ability. “My conclusion is not coming from any
religious belief or personal experience,” he stated.
The three bills also ban abortions that are based on
potential genetic defects, such as Down’s syndrome. Doctors who perform
abortions must be licensed physicians with hospital-admitting privileges. The
measures are currently set to take effect on August 1st. And though
it would not technically make abortion illegal in the state, it would seriously
cut down on the number of women who have a choice in the matter. Many unplanned
pregnancies aren’t even detected until women are 6-8 weeks along.
“The impact is very, very clear,” said Julie Rikelman of the
Center for Reproduction Rights about the fetal heartbeat bill. “It would have
an immediate and very large impact on the women in North Dakota.”
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