North Dakota politicians are fast-tracking an extreme agenda that takes away freedoms, autonomy, privacy and information
Bismarck, ND — Yesterday, the North Dakota Supreme Court blocked the state’s trigger abortion ban from taking effect, citing the fundamental right to life saving abortions. At the same time, a slew of bills attacking health care, gender, books, and information moved quickly through the legislature this week, including a near total abortion ban.
“Abortion remains safe and legal in North Dakota, and it needs to stay that way,” said Katie Christensen, North Dakota State Director, External Affairs for Planned Parenthood North Dakota Action Fund. “Politicians have no place controlling care provided by licensed medical experts, whether it be abortion care or gender-affirming care. North Dakotans deserve to make decisions about their own bodies and futures.”
SB 2150 would ban all abortions in North Dakota, except in very narrow circumstances where a pregnant person’s life is at risk. The bill also provides an exception for survivors of rape or incest, but only until six weeks of pregnancy, before most people even know they are pregnant. If enacted, the ban would force doctors to choose between providing medically accurate, comprehensive reproductive health care or breaking the law.
“North Dakota lawmakers are pushing nonsensical policies that will hurt people instead of helping them,” said Christensen. “It shouldn’t be controversial to chart the course of your own future – but North Dakota legislators are pushing policies that promote a very specific, unscientific, and inequitable agenda.”
Other extreme legislation politicians are considering includes a censorship billthat would limit or ban access to materials and information related to sexuality, a bill that criminalizes making an allegation of sexual harassment or discrimination if the allegation is found to be false or frivolous, and a bill that criminalizes gender affirming care, where health care providers would be guilty of a class B felony for providing care to patients under the age of 18.
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Founded in 1992, the Planned Parenthood Minnesota, North Dakota, South Dakota Action Fund is an independent, non-partisan, non-profit organization. As the advocacy and electoral arm of PPMNS, we mobilize supporters of all parties to defend and increase access to family planning services and fact based, medically accurate sexuality education. We work to inspire and engage citizens to take up the cause of reproductive health and rights through education, electoral activity, grassroots organizing and legislative advocacy.
Visit us at www.plannedparenthoodadvocate.org
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