BISMARCK – A
legislative committee has given a thumbs down to a bill to ban abortions
in North Dakota, saying it amounted to more of a “civil war” in the
Roman Catholic Church than a serious way to rid the state of abortion.
House Bill 1242 was supported by the Catholic-oriented American Life
League of Stafford, Va., and opposed by the bishops of both North
Dakota’s Catholic dioceses.
It came out of the House Judiciary Committee Wednesday afternoon with
an 11-2 do-not-pass recommendation. The committee heard the bill in the
morning.
Committee members said the bill also would not stand up to a
constitutional challenge, while costing the state thousands of dollars
to defend. Women who got abortions could be charged and convicted of
Class AA murder and serve life in prison.
Putting a 13-year-old girl or a mother of two in prison for life is
not the way to get rid of abortions, said committee chairman Rep. Duane
DeKrey, R-Pettibone.
“The North Dakota Legislature was being asked to settle a family
dispute,” DeKrey said. “Some of that was pretty hard to sit through this
morning.”
“We just got an earful from both sides of the Catholic Church,” said
Rep. Andrew Maragos, R-Minot. “It saddened me to see that kind of
disagreement aired out in public.”
The committee also noted neither sponsor of the bill, Rep. Sally
Sandvig, D-Fargo, or Sen. Russell Thane, R-Wahpeton, came to the hearing
to testify on the bill. Sandvig said she introduced it for Peter Crary
of Fargo, who testified in favor of the bill.
The lobbyist for the American Life League was Patrick Delaney. Others
testifying in favor of the bill were Martin Wishnatsky of Fargo and Tim
Lindgren of the North Dakota Life League.
The two members of the Judiciary Committee who voted against the
do-not-pass motion were Rep. Bette Grande, R-Fargo, and Rep. Pat Galvin,
R-Hazen.
The bill still has to be voted on by the full House.