Jan 25, 2007 - 04:00:32 CST
Bismarck Tribune
By JONATHAN RIVBy JONATHAN RIVOLI
Faced with two separate proposals to ban abortion in North Dakota, House Judiciary Committee members elected Tuesday to take the more moderate course.
Members voted 8-4 to endorse an abortion ban proposal that makes an exception for abortions intended to save a mother's life and would only take effect as state law if the Roe v. Wade Supreme Court decision were overturned.
At the same time, committee members voted 13-0 against a proposed ban that sets no exceptions, allows for prosecution of the women seeking abortions and, if passed, could put North Dakota at the center of a national court fight over the issue.
Because the North Dakota Legislature requires every bill to be passed out of committee and receive a floor vote, Tuesday's votes are only recommendations. Committee recommendations typically hold a lot of sway when a bill comes up for its floor, but they're not always predictive of what the entire chamber will decide.
Rep. Kim Koppelman, R-West Fargo, was one of eight representatives to vote for one abortion ban bill and against the other.
"I'm pro-life, but the question we really had before us was whether we wanted to mount a court challenge to Roe v. Wade, and if we wanted to criminalize it for the woman," Koppelman said. "I don't believe in criminalizing it for the woman, and I don't believe a court challenge would be successful."
During the past two sessions, the Legislature has rejected proposed abortion bans by wide margins.
But Tuesday's mixed vote left some advocates on both sides of the abortion debate wondering what's next.
"It seems like there's a lot of room left for debate, and we're not taking any chances," said Tim Stanley, a lobbyist for Planned Parenthood of Minnesota, North Dakota and South Dakota. Stanley said both proposed bans are more extreme than last year's widely publicized ban in South Dakota, which passed that state's Legislature but was rejected by voters there last fall. They allow a less adequate defense in court for doctors who perform an abortion to save the mother's life, he said.
Christopher Dodson, executive director of the North Dakota Catholic Conference, said he considered Tuesday's mixed vote to be a victory.
"It's not surprising, based on the history of these types of bills," Dodson said.
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