For too long, abortion has been legal in New Hampshire, for any reason, up to the moment of birth. Thanks to our fourteen Republican State Senators, the Granite State is now closer than ever to having its very first protections for late-term preborn children.
During a Senate session last night, senators voted 14-9 to pass an amendment to HB 2, the state budget, sponsored by Senators Regina Birdsell and Sharon Carson. This amendment rewrote Sections 37-40 of the state budget to create a real and workable ban on late-term abortion.
The late-term ban now contained in Sections 37-40 was carefully developed in consultation with leading scholars and litigators on abortion from around the country. With this amendment, Senators Birdsell and Carson have now resolved the criticisms that Cornerstone and other pro-life advocates had concerning the Senate Judiciary version of HB 625.
It’s no secret that New Hampshire Republicans have historically had a mixed record on abortion. But by repairing and strengthening this abortion ban, Senators Birdsell and Carson have helped unify New Hampshire Republicans on this critical issue.
The ban contained in Section 37-40 prohibits abortion at or after 24 weeks of gestation, with an exception for the life or the physical health of the mother. If the budget is approved by the House and Governor, any health care provider who violates the prohibition will be subject to class B felony penalties and civil remedies.
The good news does not stop there. All 14 Senate Republicans then stood strong in defense of Sections 37-40, rejecting multiple amendments proposed by Democrats that would’ve sabotaged the ban, such as by stripping out the criminal and civil penalties.
An abortion ban at 24 weeks—a time when when most unborn children can live outside the womb—should not be controversial. But, in the current national political climate, the Senate’s decision is brave. As the nation becomes more polarized, many Democratic states are going in the opposite direction and triumphantly legalizing abortion up to birth.
Until December of 2020, even Massachusetts imposed felony penalties on abortions at or after 24 weeks. In December, however, Massachusetts passed the so-called “ROE Act,” effectively legalizing abortion up to birth for any reason. We are blessed that New Hampshire is moving in the opposite direction. The arm of the Lord is with the people of New Hampshire.
It is shameful, but by now unsurprising, that not a single Democratic Senator was willing to vote for this moderate ban. But the fact is that these Democrats are out of step with the people of New Hampshire. A recent UNH poll showed that 58% of Granite Staters think that abortion should be illegal in at least some circumstances. Only a minority of New Hampshire residents support New Hampshire’s current kill-at-will abortion policy.
The idea that abortion should be prohibited at some point prior to birth, although common among ordinary voters, is now considered to be outrageous among elected Democrats. In 2021, a quasi-religious devotion to abortion at any time has become an article of faith for Democrats in elected office.
If there is any doubt about this, Republicans and the media need only ask these Democrats if they would support any enforceable prohibition on abortion at some point prior to birth. If they are pressed for specifics, Democrats cannot deny that they would oppose any abortion ban whatsoever. Their religious devotion to abortion would prevent them from saying otherwise.
Fortunately, New Hampshire is close to finally repudiating this inhuman commitment to pro-abortion absolutism.
God has used our Senators as his instruments to serve the least among us. Please take a moment to thank and encourage New Hampshire’s Republican Senators for standing strong on life in the face of enormous attacks from those who support abortion up to birth.
Thank These Senators:
District 23, Senator Bill Gannon – William.Gannon@leg.state.nh.us
District 22, Senator Chuck Morse – Chuck.Morse@leg.state.nh.us
District 19, Senator Regina Birdsell – Regina.Birdsell@leg.state.nh.us
District 17, Senator John Reagan – John.Reagan111@gmail.com
District 14, Senator Sharon Carson – Sharon.Carson@leg.state.nh.us
District 12, Senator Kevin Avard – Kevin.Avard@leg.state.nh.us
District 11, Senator Gary Daniels – Gary.Daniels@leg.state.nh.us
District 09, Senator Denise Ricciardi -Denise.Ricciardi@leg.state.nh.us
District 08, Senator Ruth Ward – Ruth.Ward@leg.state.nh.us
District 07, Senator Harold French – Harold.French@leg.state.nh.us
District 06, Senator James Gray – James.Gray@leg.state.nh.us
District 03, Senator Jeb Bradley – Jeb.Bradley@leg.state.nh.us
District 02, Senator Bob Giuda – Bob.Giuda@leg.state.nh.us
District 01, Senator Erin Hennessey – Erin.Hennessey@leg.state.nh.us
