A judge’s suspect recent decision to suspend the state’s pro-life law cannot stand.
A judge’s suspect recent decision to suspend the state’s pro-life law cannot stand.
W hen the Dobbs decision returned to the people and the states the right to regulate abortion as they see fit, North Dakota implemented protections for the unborn. But a lone judge has now attempted to overthrow these protections. For the sake of the unborn, he must not prevail.
North Dakota had a trigger law in place that was activated when Roe v. Wade was overturned. This law was designed to affirm our state’s pro-life values, which have been central since its founding. It included safeguards and protections for women and minors, all of which were lost when the judge struck down the law in its entirety. These protections included parental consent for minors, waiting periods, and exceptions for the physical health and safety of the mother.
At the time of the Dobbs decision, North Dakota had one abortion clinic, located in Fargo. Following the activation of the trigger law, the clinic relocated across the river to Moorhead, Minn., to continue providing abortions. Despite this move, the clinic sued the state of North Dakota, claiming that women had a constitutional right to abortion in cases involving mental health. However, North Dakota’s constitution and laws do not support this claim. Our laws provided protection for the physical health and safety of the mother, but explicitly did not extend to mental health.
When the lawsuit was presented to Judge Romanick, North Dakota Attorney General Drew Wrigley requested its dismissal, arguing not only that the claim was baseless but also that the clinic lacked standing to sue since it had relocated out of North Dakota. Wrigley stated:
While I have appropriate regard for the State District Court, a careful reading of Judge Romanick’s decision reveals flaws in his analysis and interpretation of controlling precedent. Accordingly, the State of North Dakota will appeal this ruling because Judge Romanick’s opinion inappropriately casts aside the law crafted by the legislative branch of our government and ignores the applicable and controlling case law previously announced by the North Dakota Supreme Court.
This ruling is a great tragedy for all North Dakotans, as it opens the door to the most extreme abortion laws ever seen in the state.
Whatever his rationale and actual intentions, Romanick’s ruling serves the interests of radical abortion zealots who, in the aftermath of Dobbs, have sought to expand abortion statewide, often against the will of the people as expressed through their elected representatives. Planned Parenthood and the pro-abortion lobby will not rest until abortion is legal in every state. They are the greatest exploiters of women in our modern society, profiting by billions from the killing of children and leaving women to face the inevitable regret alone.
As Americans, we have a duty to protect life. We must not be discouraged by these pro-abortion efforts but instead rise to meet the challenge set before us. Together, we can defend the most vulnerable among us and uphold the sanctity of life.