May 12, 2023
In a time when pro-lifers are told to sit quietly in their conviction to protect life in law and service out of fear that it will “cost political elections,” we celebrate our victories proudly because life IS a winning issue.
Take news in North Dakota, as one of many recent examples. Adding to the list of states that have passed strong life-saving laws with the fall of Roe v. Wade, this mostly conservative state has moved forward with sweeping protections for the preborn early in pregnancy. Here’s what happened:
North Dakota Governor Doug Burgum recently signed legislation limiting abortion up until 6-weeks of pregnancy, typically right around the time a baby’s heartbeat can first be detected. Students for Life Action (SFLAction) ensures in state or federal policies we endorse that life of the mother exceptions are included – although elective abortion is never done out of medical necessity.
We were glad to see that provision in this bill, but unfortunately there are further exceptions for rape and incest that discriminate against innocent children based upon the uncontrollable circumstances of their conception.
(CLICK HERE to read more about SFLAction/Students for Life of America’s (SFLA) views on rape & incest.)
In part of his statement, Governor Burgum said that this legislation “reaffirms North Dakota as a pro-life state.” While another pre-Roe law is held up in North Dakota court currently, this new measure is set to take place right away.
Another victory for life!
North Dakota has been an example of protecting life in law and service. While there is no national abortion reporting law, the Guttmacher Institute, a pro-abortion think tank, reported, “In 2017, 1,160 abortions were provided in North Dakota, though not all abortions that occurred in North Dakota were provided to state residents.”
While the Guttmacher Institute found that abortions in North Dakota only made up 0.1% of abortions in the nation, those are still valuable lives to protect – and may only be a fraction of the real number of abortions committed.
To make the state even more abortion free, SFLA reported last year that in North Dakota the sole abortion vendor packed up its operations, making the state free of abortionists. The aforementioned Guttmacher Institute report also found that “there was a 9% decline in the abortion rate in North Dakota between 2014 and 2017.”
Life is undeniably winning in North Dakota, and we’re cheering on Governor Burgum and those in the state legislature that sent this bill to him.
READ NEXT: The Pro-Life Generation’s Efforts to Help Defeat San Antonio’s Proposition A