DEM-NPL candidate for US Senate applauds court ruling restoring abortion access in North Dakota

Published by Prairie Public | September 13, 2024

North Dakota’s Democratic candidate for US Senate says she “got shivers” when she heard about North Dakota’s near-total abortion ban being struck down in district court.

Katrina Christiansen is challenging Republican incumbent Kevin Cramer for Senate. District Judge Bruce Romanick ruled yesterday North Dakota’s law banning abortions after six weeks was “too unconstitutionally vague.” She says she applauds the ruling, and says going forward there needs to be federal protections in place to ensure patients can receive abortion care.

"I do think that we need federal protections. When you really think about the ruling, and the justice's opinion about the law - it really was vague. It didn't really afford victims of rape and incest after six weeks the option to deal with unwanted pregnancies, as victims of crimes. I think we really do need those federal protections, because I'm fairly certain the state legislature will pursue another ban, and the state might appeal this ruling."

North Dakota was one of ten states that enacted a “trigger law” that would ban access to abortion in the event Roe vs. Wade was overturned by the Supreme Court. That law was passed in 2007, with Roe being overturned in 2022. North Dakota’s abortion ban took effect 30 days later.

By: Danielle Webster