States Continue to Attack Abortion Access

State lawmakers across the country continue their attempts to restrict abortion access.

Yesterday lawmakers in South Dakota introduced a bill banning abortion with limited exceptions. In November, voters in the state rejected an abortion ban by a wide margin. This year’s ban has stricter penalties; doctors who provide abortions could be charged with a Class-4 felony and face up to 10 years in prison.

A Utah House of Representatives panel Tuesday approved an unconstitutional abortion ban that challenges Roe v. Wade. Initially Rep. Paul Ray was expected to introduce a “trigger” bill, but at the last minute pushed for an abortion ban with limited exceptions. This is not the first time Utah legislators have tried to outlaw abortion. In the early 1990s Utah passed an abortion ban and spent more than $1 million taxpayer dollars to defend the law all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court where it was struck down as unconstitutional.

Friday, the North Dakota House of Representatives passed a “trigger” bill, which would go into effect if Roe v. Wade were overturned. This measure would ban all safe abortion procedures at all stages of pregnancy with no meaningful exceptions.