North Dakota judge temporarily blocks new abortion ban in the state

A North Dakota judge has temporarily blocked a ban on abortion triggered by the overturning of Roe v. Wade earlier this year, saying a lawsuit filed by an abortion clinic in the state has a high likelihood of successfully showing the ban is unconstitutional.

Judge Bruce Romanick ruled on Monday that the abortion ban cannot yet go into effect, pending the outcome of a lawsuit filed by the Red River clinic, which was the only remaining abortion clinic in the state until recently, when it moved to Minnesota to skirt the new ban.

Romanick wrote in his ruling that there is a “substantial probability” that the abortion ban will be found unconstitutional due to the burdens it places on medical providers, and the case must be allowed to play out before a statewide abortion ban can be implemented.

The Director of Red River, Tammi Kromenaker, told the Associated Press, “We want physicians who are treating patients to feel like they can use their best medical judgment and training and not be looking at the law books as to how they can take care of patients.” 

The abortion law in question would ban all abortions in the state of North Dakota except in instances of rape or incest, or when the mother’s life is endangered by the pregnancy.

The ban was originally scheduled to go into effect on August 26, prompting Red River’s move to Minnesota earlier the same month.

North Dakota Attorney General Drew Wrigley responded to the Monday ruling, saying “I’m unpersuaded by almost everything I read in the judge’s ruling and we look forward to responding.”