Contact: PUBLIC RELATIONS DEPARTMENT - 800-671-1776 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: April 18, 2007 Supreme Court Upholds Partial-Birth Abortion Ban Washington, DC

Today the United States Supreme Court, in a 5-4 decision, upheld the federal Partial-Birth Abortion Ban Act of 2003. Justices Roberts, Alito, Kennedy, Scalia and Thomas voted to uphold the ban on partial-birth abortion. Justice Kennedy wrote the majority opinion and Justice Ginsberg wrote the dissent, joined by Souter, Breyer and Stevens.

The Court upheld the ban, stating, "The government may use its voice and its regulatory authority to show its profound respect for the life within the woman."

Justice Thomas added in a concurring opinion, joined by Justice Scalia: "I write separately to reiterate my view that the Court's abortion jurisprudence, including Casey and Roe v. Wade, has no basis in the Constitution."

Liberty Counsel filed amicus briefs in the cases considered by the Court, Gonzales v. Planned Parenthood and Gonzales v. Carhart, pointing out that Congress rightly determined that the procedure is not medically necessary to preserve the health of the mother. The Court recognized that the ban protects women from harm that can occur, stating: "It is self-evident that a mother who comes to regret her choice to abort must struggle with grief more anguished and sorrow more profound when she learns, only after the event, what she once did not know: that she allowed a doctor to pierce the skull and vacuum the fast developing brain of her unborn child, a child assuming the human form."

Mathew D. Staver, Founder of Liberty Counsel and Dean of Liberty University School of Law, commented on the ruling: "The tide is turning and the culture of life is being restored at the highest levels. What a difference one Justice can make in the battle for life! This case involves the same doctor and the same law that the Court considered several years ago, but now we have a different Court that has come to the right decision on the side of life."

Anita Staver, President of Liberty Counsel, stated: "Roe v. Wade is on its last leg! The pro-life community is thrilled with the Court's decision to uphold the partial-birth abortion ban. Now states should start considering other restrictions. Women are too often misled or pressured into abortions they do not want and suffer lifelong physical and emotional consequences."

Legislative Watch Issue # 13 April 20, 2007

presented by the North Dakota Home School Association to home educating families for educational and instructional purposes. Nothing contained herein is to be construed as partisan in nature. Given accurate information recipients can make up their own minds about steps they can take to affect legislation in North Dakota in a respectful manner which promotes personal liberty, responsibility and freedom.  All comment is the opinion of Gail Biby unless otherwise noted.  Nothing contained herein is to be construed as legal advice and is included for educational purposes only.

Arranged in numerical order with House bills listed first. It is our goal to send the Legislative Watch every Friday during the Session. If you have input on any of these, or others of interest, please contact me at: billbiby@msn.com  Some of the following are included for your information, some for action, and some for the sheer joy of it.

Quick links added to NDHSA website. Go to www.ndhsa.org and click on any of the quick links to read the bills, find out when they will be heard in committee, to contact your legislator and much more.

To listen to audio or watch video of live floor proceedings, click on this  website address and take your choice: 

www.legis.nd.gov/assembly/60-2007/dailysess/

HOUSE BILLS 2007 LEGISLATIVE SESSION

 HB 1434 - Related to the viral hepatitis education and vaccination program.

·          Signed by Governor Hoeven 4/09/07

Geared toward high risk groups and mandates that the Department of Health conduct a surveillance  regarding the impact of Hepatitis C.

HB 1435 - Relates to childhood immunizations.

·          Second reading passed the Senate, Y 47, N 0  4/03.  Returned to the House. House refused to concur on Senate amendments. Conference Committee appointed: Reps. Pollert, Price, Kaldor and Sens. J. Lee, Kilzer, and Warner.

The Second Engrossment with Senate amendments deals only with appropriations and the meningococcal vaccine mandate has been removed (see HB 1136). Further Senate amendments change appropriations  from $2.5 million to provide the program to public health units to $1.85 million.

HB 1466 - Relates to the prohibition of the performance of abortions, except to save the life of the mother.

·          Amended in the Senate on the floor X 2. Second reading passed as amended, Y 41, N 6  4/05.  House refused to concur on Senate amendments. Conference Committee appointed: Reps. Koppleman, Kretschmar, Onstad, Sens. Nething, Erbele, Marcellais 4/12.

Original bill now has language added reminiscent of SB 2181. The conference committee amendments added a section dealing with definitions of abortion, physician, professional judgment; makes performing an abortion a class C felony except if performed to save the life of the mother or in cases of rape or incest; provides for pregnancy care for minor without permission of parent, but does not allow for abortion; law would go into effect at such time as the attorney general deems it would be upheld as constitutional. There is an extreme difficulty with this bill because pro-life legislators who voted for the original HB 1466 and against SB 2181 are now faced with dilemma of voting again on both bills now combined into one. The conference committee report was rejected on April 19. It will be appointed to another conference committee for further work. 

To find House members go to:

http://www.legis.nd.gov/assembly/60-2007/house/members/

To find out who sits on what committee in the House go to:

http://www.legis.nd.gov/assembly/60-2007/house/standing-comm/

 SENATE BILLS 2007 LEGISLATIVE SESSION 

SB 2309 - Deals with high school graduation requirements increasing them to 24 by school year 2011-2012.

Conference committee report rejected in House 4/16. New conference committee appointed: Sens. G. Lee, Flakoll, Taylor; Reps. L Meier, Wall, Hunskor

The new conference committee will attempt to work out the differing views on this bill. The previous conference committee reinstated the coursework requirements beginning with 08-09 school year to include: 4 units English language arts; 2 units math; 2 units science; 3 units social studies or multicultural studies; 1 unit phys. Ed.; and 1 unit foreign language, fine arts or career and technical education. Also does not allow a school district to decrease its graduation requirements.

To find the Senate members go to:

http://www.legis.nd.gov/assembly/60-2007/senate/members/

To find out who sits on what committee in the Senate go to:

http://www.legis.nd.gov/assembly/60-2007/senate/standing-comm/

To read any bills currently in the hopper go to:

 http://www.legis.nd.gov/assembly/60-2007/leginfo/index.html

To find your Legislative District and members go to:

http://web.apps.state.nd.us/hubexplorer/legislativedist/viewer.html