BISMARCK -- North Dakota Gov. Jack Dalrymple has signed three anti-abortion measures that are among the strictest in the country.
In a release issued this morning, Dalrymple said he had signed House Bill 1305, which bans abortions performed solely for gender selection or because of genetic abnormalities.
He also signed House Bill 1456, which bans abortions if a fetal heartbeat is detected.
"Although the likelihood of this measure surviving a court challenge remains in question, this bill is nevertheless a legitimate attempt by a state legislature to discover the boundaries of Roe v. Wade," he said, referring to the landmark 1973 U.S. Supreme Court decision allowing abortions.
He is asking the Legislature to appropriate funding to the attorney general for a litigation fund if it is challenged.
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Upon hearing the announcement, Tammi Kromenaker, director of the Red River Women's Clinic, North Dakota's sole abortion provider, said she has contacted the clinic's attorneys at the Center for Reproductive Rights, a national group that advocates for reproductive freedom.
Likewise, Senate Bill 2305 was signed, which requires admitting and staff privileges at a nearby hospital for any physician who performs abortions in North Dakota. He said the requirement does increase the chances of the measure facing a court challenge.
"Nevertheless, it is a legitimate and new question for the courts regarding a precise restriction on doctors who perform abortions," he said.
