North Dakota moves closer to ban on abortion if Roe v. Wade reversed

Published: 2007-04-25

FARGO, N.D. (CNS) -- Passage of a bill that would make abortion illegal in North Dakota if Roe v. Wade is overturned by the U.S. Supreme Court is a "positive affirmation of the right to life," said Bishop Samuel J. Aquila of Fargo. "This ban is a positive step toward protecting all human life from conception to natural death, but there is much work left to be done in North Dakota and throughout the nation and world," Bishop Aquila said in a statement posted late April 24 on his diocesan Web site. North Dakota Gov. John Hoeven was expected to sign the bill, which would make abortion a felony except in cases of rape or incest or to save the mother's life. Called a "trigger bill," the legislation would only take effect if the Supreme Court overturned its 1973 decision legalizing abortion in all 50 states. Mississippi passed similar legislation earlier this year; it was signed into law by Gov. Haley Barbour April 19. Anyone performing an illegal abortion under the North Dakota legislation would be subject to a $5,000 fine and/or up to five years in jail. The bill passed the House April 23 by a 68-24 vote and was approved later the same day in the Senate 29-16.

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