Date Set For When Abortions In North Dakota Will Be Illegal & Punishable
According to a statement issued by the North Dakota Attorney General's Office, Attorney General, Drew Wrigley delivered a certification letter to the North Dakota Legislative Council this morning (Tuesday, June 28th).
The Supreme Court's decision last week allows each state to choose whether or not to allow abortions.
In a statement issued by Wrigley days ago, he said,
"By statute, this office has thirty days within which to certify whether the Dobbs decision gives effect to current North Dakota abortion laws that conflicted with previous United States Supreme Court decisions."
The certification came only days later.
North Dakota's Existing Abortion Bill Takes Effect
One of North Dakota laws Wrigley was referring to is the "Trigger Bill." House Bill 1466 was passed in North Dakota back in 2007. It effectively makes abortion illegal in the state. Of course, this wasn't enforceable due to the fact that the federal Roe V Wade decision supersedes our state laws.
Another statute will also take effect; H.R. 1546 was signed in 2019 by Gov. Doug Burgum. This bill bans the "Dilation and evacuation" abortion method with exceptions to medical emergencies.
When Will Abortions Become Officially Illegal?
According to the "Trigger Bill," (H.R. 1466) once the Attorney General certifies the high court's decision, as he did today, the state of North Dakota has 30 days before abortion becomes illegal and punishable by law. Ipso facto abortion will be outlawed on July 28th 2022.
A Felony Charge
According to the Trigger Bill, the "Use or prescription of any substance, device, instrument, medicine, or drug to intentionally terminate the pregnancy of an individual known to be pregnant" is subject legal action.
The Bill indicates that it would be a "Class C Felony" to perform an abortion in the state of North Dakota.
A Class C felony has a maximum penalty of 5 years imprisonment and/or a fine of ten thousand dollars.
North Dakota's Abortion Clinic
There's only one abortion clinic in the state. The Red River Women's Clinic in Fargo will be forced to close by July 28th, 2022. According to ValleyNewsLive, the clinic has been fundraising and efforting a move to Moorhead. The goal is to continue operations in Minnesota.
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