HB 1450 & HB 1297

Please call the members of the house human services committee http://www.legis.nd.gov/assembly/62-2011/house/standing-comm/

1. Ask them to vote DO PASS on HB 1450

2. Ask them to not vote on HB 1297 so that we have more time to look over the amendments.

HB 1450 was amended on Monday Feb 7^th.  The amendments address minor grammar issues and an inadvertent penalty to the mother that NDRL did not see until it was brought to our attention by the Catholic Conference. NDRL has a strong position that the mother is the second victim of abortion.

HB 1297 a 16 page rewrite of the abortion control act has a number of issues with it. On Monday Feb 7^th two pages of amendments were offered but not yet accepted. Like HB 1450 HB 1297 also suffers from grammar problems and consistency errors. Unlike HB 1450 HB 1297 does not have an amendment to address language that allows the mother to be prosecuted with a class B felony. Again it is important for NDRL to stress that the mother is a second victim of abortion and should be treated by the state as a victim. Until NDRL has the time to look through the amendments and address the mother issues in HB 1297, NDRL can not support this bill.