North Dakota: Abolition Bill Scheduled for Committee Hearing on February 5; Planned Parenthood Mobilizes Against Abolition

BISMARCK, ND — The fight to abolish abortion in North Dakota is heating up. On February 5, HB 1373, the North Dakota Prenatal Equal Protection Act, filed by State Representative Lori VanWinkle, is scheduled to be heard in the House Human Services committee. 

Chaired by Republican Matthew Ruby, the Human Services committee includes Republicans Kathy Frelich, Karen Anderson, Mike Beltz, Macy Bolinske, Clayton Fegley, Jared Hendrix, Dawson Holle, Dwight Kiefert, Nico Rios and Karen Rohr, along with Democrats Jayme Davis and Gretchen Dobervich. 

On Monday, a coalition of grassroots conservatives published a joint statement demanding that the legislature pass HB 1373 this session. Signers included North Dakota RNC committee members Lori Hinz and Steve Nagel, Brandon Prichard of ND Citizens Alliance, Dr. Abby Johnson, and a dozen ND Republican District chairs.

While grassroots conservatives are uniting behind HB 1373, the abortion industry in North Dakota is mobilizing in opposition to the bill. Planned Parenthood North Dakota Advocate issued a statement calling HB 1373 “a harmful bill redefining human being and personhood to apply at the moment of conception,” and claimed that it undermines the “rights” of “pregnant people.” 

In North Dakota, the abortion industry is arguing that HB 1373 would make in vitro fertilization (IVF) illegal in North Dakota. Shifting the argument away from abortion itself and attempting to pivot the conversation to IVF is a common tactic employed by abortion advocates to manipulate the public and animate opposition to attempts to restrict or outlaw abortion. 

Democrat State Representative Karla Rose Hanson called HB 1373, “an extreme personhood bill” that “would end IVF in ND” and “extinguish the hopes and dreams” of IVF patients. Across social media, liberal activists have been making hysterical claims about HB 1373 with respect to its impact on IVF. 

Ultimately, these “concerns” over IVF are hackneyed pro-abortion talking points. As abolitionist Amber Vibeto, Director of North Dakota Can explained to Valley News, “What this bill does is it criminalizes homicide and assault against an unborn person…it would ensure the IVF industry is implementing a proper standard of care for human beings.” 

Is it too much to ask the IVF industry to not discard (murder) any human beings who are conceived during the IVF process? According to the legions of left-wing activists mobilizing against HB 1373, the answer is yes. 

The next several weeks will be pivotal in North Dakota. Ultimately, legislators have a decision to make: will they stand with preborn children and support HB 1373, or will they stand with Planned Parenthood and its murderous agenda?