N.D. Senate Approves 20-Week Abortion Ban
February 20, 2013 — The North Dakota Senate on Monday voted 30-17 to approve a bill (SB 2368) that would ban abortion later in pregnancy, the AP/Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports. The bill now moves to the House.
The measure would ban abortion after 20 weeks of pregnancy based on the disputed theory that fetuses can feel pain at that point. The measure challenges the Supreme Court's Roe v. Wade decision, under which states cannot ban abortion prior to viability.
The bill does not include an exemption for cases of rape or incest (MacPherson, AP/Atlanta Journal-Constitution, 2/18).