North Dakota Governor Signs Strict Abortion Limits - NYTimes.com

North Dakota Governor Signs Strict Abortion Limits - NYTimes.com:

'via Blog this'The North Dakota fetal heartbeat law and others like it, Mr. Linton said, “have no chance in the courts.”

“In the past it’s been, ‘We’re going to try and make it more difficult, more hoops, more obstacles for women to have to jump through or jump over,’ ” said Tammi Kromenaker, the director of Red River Women’s Clinic in Fargo, the state’s only abortion provider. “But this is specifically: ‘Let’s ban abortion. Let’s do it. Let’s challenge Roe v. Wade. Let’s end abortion in North Dakota.’ ” The Center for Reproductive Rights, in New York, immediately condemned the new laws and said it would file a challenge to the fetal heartbeat ban.

Mr. Dalrymple also affirmed a law to require doctors performing abortions to get admitting privileges at a local hospital, which could force the closing of the Red River clinic. A similar law adopted by Mississippi last year is under challenge in federal court.

He also signed a third law that would prevent abortion in cases of gender preference or — the first of its kind in the nation — genetic defects, like Down syndrome.