POLITICS: North Dakota GOP Defeats Resolution to Punish Women Who Have Abortions

A proposed North Dakota GOP resolution to punish women who have abortions has been voted down after national and state pro-life groups voiced their opposition. Last week, leaders of organizations including SBA Pro-Life America President Marjorie Dannenfelser and ND Family Alliance Executive Director Mark Jorritsma sent a letter to North Dakota Republican Party Chair Sandi Sanford rejecting the proposed resolution on charging women as “co-conspirators” in their own abortions.

Dannenfelser celebrated the resolution’s defeat:

“We thank North Dakota GOP delegates for representing the pro-life movement in voting down this harmful resolution. Together, we will oppose any effort to criminalize women – even non-binding resolutions. We celebrate that in the very few states where this kind of legislation has been filed not a single bill punishing women has advanced. As many women face abortion coercion, a culture that lies to them about the humanity of their unborn children, and a predatory abortion industry profiting off of lives and women’s suffering, we must provide more support to mothers, not condemnation.”

Referencing a previous pro-life letter sent to legislators across the country in 2022, the signers said:

“As national and state pro-life organizations, representing tens of millions of pro-life men, women, and children across the country, let us be clear: We state unequivocally that we do not support any measure seeking to criminalize or punish women and we stand firmly opposed to include such penalties in legislation.”

Peer-reviewed research from Charlotte Lozier Institute shows nearly 70% of women who have had abortions describe them as inconsistent with their own values and preferences, with one in four describing their abortions as unwanted or coerced; over 60% report high levels of pressure to abort from one or more sources.

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The resolution stands in contrast to pro-woman legislation recently passed by North Dakota lawmakers including:

• HB 1176: tax credits for contributions to maternity homes and pregnancy help organizations
• SB 2129: an extension of North Dakota Alternatives to Abortion funding
• SB 2181: an extension on TANF assistance for pregnant mothers

The North Dakota GOP Convention was held over the weekend and on Monday afternoon a party representative announced the passage of 14 resolutions and the defeat of the resolution criminalizing women.

The post North Dakota GOP Defeats Resolution to Punish Women Who Have Abortions appeared first on LifeNews.com.