North Dakota judge strikes down state's near-total ban on abortions
CBSSep 18
North Dakota Judge Overturns State Abortion Ban
Above: The Burleigh County Courthouse in Bismarck, North Dakota, in May 2017. Image copyright: Wikimedia Commons
The Facts
North Dakota's Burleigh County District Judge Bruce Romanick overturned the state's broad abortion restrictions on Thursday, ruling the state constitution protects a woman's "fundamental right to make medical judgments" about her health.
The nonpartisan judge, who will retire later this year, further said the law violates several constitutional tenets, including the right to due process protections and the right "to pursue and obtain safety and happiness."
The Spin
Democratic narrative
When Roe v. Wade was overturned, Republicans acted swiftly to ban nearly all abortions in many states. But it's turned out that public opinion and many courts are in favor of protecting a woman's inalienable right to make her own health decisions, and North Dakota is just one of several states being forced to rightfully restore access to reproductive care.
Republican narrative
The only reason pro-abortion groups are winning cases like this and getting abortion access onto several states' ballots is because of funding from outside influencers. There are no winners in this case, and hopefully, moving forward, the courts and lawmakers will do a better job of protecting the unborn children who are too often overlooked in these situations.