North Dakota House Passes Fetal Personhood Bill
This week, the North Dakota House voted to give fertilized eggs the same rights as human beings.
The fetal personhood bill declares that “any organism with the genome of homo sapiens” is a person with all the rights guaranteed under the North Dakota Constitution and state laws. The measure is expected to be reviewed by the North Dakota Senate within the next couple weeks. If passed, the law would effectively ban abortion in the state and pose a direct challenge to Roe v. Wade.
The measure’s sponsor, Rep. Dan Ruby, notes that, unlike previous bills he has introduced, the measure does not automatically and explicitly ban abortion: “This is very simply defining when life begins, and giving that life some protections under our Constitution — the right to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.”
On the other hand, Ruby says that posing a challenge to Roe v. Wade is exactly what the language of the bill is intended to do: “This is the exact language that’s required by Roe vs. Wade. It stipulated that before a challenge can be made, we have to identify when life begins, and that’s what this does.”
In fact, the measure is so extreme and broad that opponents warn it could reach well beyond a ban on abortion, limiting access to birth control and emergency contraception as well as affecting in vitro fertilization.
In a press release, Sarah Stoesz, President and CEO of Planned Parenthood Minnesota (PPMNS), said of the bill: “HB 1572 is dangerous, far reaching and allows the government, not women and families, to make critical decisions about health care.” Vicki Saporta, president of the National Abortion Federation, warns: “While it is a direct challenge to Roe v Wade, we expect that the bill would not only ban abortion but could reach common forms of birth control as well.”
A similar fetal personhood bill in Colorado was voted down 73-27 back in November. After this overwhelming defeat, the bill’s supporters turned their sights nationwide, forming Personhood USA to “assist local pro-life groups in different states to put personhood amendments on their states ballot by using the petition process.”
The group reports that this year fetal personhood bills have also been introduced into the legislatures of Maryland, Montana, South Carolina and Alabama. In addition, Oregon has begun a personhood amendment petition drive and Mississippi’s petition drive is expected to launch within weeks.
Granting human rights to fertilized eggs has incredibly dangerous consequences and raises some pretty tough questions. Let’s hope the North Dakota Senate rejects the amendment and that the “Personhood” movement loses steam fast.
By Maya Dusenbery