Current:Home > NewsNew Hampshire House refuses to either further restrict or protect abortion rights -Streamline Finance
New Hampshire House refuses to either further restrict or protect abortion rights
View
Date:2025-04-13 00:58:37
CONCORD, N.H. (AP) — The Republican-led but closely divided New Hampshire House rejected three abortion bills Thursday, refusing to either further restrict or protect reproductive rights.
Current state law prohibits abortion after 24 weeks of pregnancy except when the mother’s health or life is in danger or there is a fatal fetal anomaly. The House voted 193-184 Thursday in favor of asking voters to enshrine abortion rights in the state constitution as well. But the vote fell short of the majority needed to advance the proposal.
The House also rejected a bill that would have required abortions after 15 weeks to be performed with two doctors present and in hospitals with neonatal intensive care units and a third measure that would have banned abortion after 15 days of gestation. The latter was akin to an outright ban as virtually no one knows they are pregnant at that point, and lawmakers took the extra step of voting to “indefinitely postpone” the bill, making it more difficult to revive at a later date.
The only one of three measures to be debated was the constitutional amendment to protect abortion up to 24 weeks and allow abortions beyond that when a physician believes they are necessary. It was sponsored by Rep. Amanda Toll, who spoke in support of the proposal while holding her week-old daughter.
“Having my third child, a little girl, has reinvigorated my commitment to making sure that every Granite Stater, including Daniella, has the right to make their own reproductive decisions,” she said. “We need to send this to the voters and let voters decide.”
Since the U.S. Supreme Court overturned the constitutional right to abortion in 2022, voters in seven states have either protected abortion rights or defeated attempts to curtail them in statewide votes. New Hampshire does not allow citizen-led ballot initiatives, but changes can be made to the state constitution if three-fifths of the Legislature agrees to put the question to voters, who must then approve amendments by at least a two-thirds majority.
“Granite Staters should not have their reproductive rights on the line every legislative session with bills seeking to ban abortion earlier and earlier in pregnancy,” said Toll, a Democrat from Keene. “Because while abortion is currently safe and legal here, we have zero state or federal protections in place for abortion rights in New Hampshire.”
Opponents argued the wording of the amendment was vague and left too much to a doctor’s discretion. They also said it wasn’t needed because the current law is widely supported by the public.
“There simply is no threat to abortion rights in this state, despite the never-ending political rhetoric to the contrary,” said Rep. Bob Lynn, a Republican from Windham. “And therefore, this proposed constitutional amendment is totally unnecessary.”
veryGood! (49)
Related
- New Zealand official reverses visa refusal for US conservative influencer Candace Owens
- Kate Middleton Makes First Appearance Since Announcing End of Chemotherapy
- A vandal’s rampage at a Maine car dealership causes thousands in damage to 75 vehicles
- TCU coach Sonny Dykes ejected for two unsportsmanlike penalties in SMU rivalry game
- Tony Hawk drops in on Paris skateboarding and pushes for more styles of sport in LA 2028
- Off the Grid: Sally breaks down USA TODAY's daily crossword puzzle, I Could Have Sworn...
- Round ‘em up: Eight bulls escape a Massachusetts rodeo and charge through a mall parking lot
- Mega Millions winning numbers for September 20; Jackpot now worth $62 million
- US auto safety agency seeks information from Tesla on fatal Cybertruck crash and fire in Texas
- Travis Kelce to star in 'Grotesquerie.' It's not his first time onscreen
Ranking
- Euphoria's Hunter Schafer Says Ex Dominic Fike Cheated on Her Before Breakup
- Josh Gad opens up about anxiety, 'Frozen' and new children's book 'PictureFace Lizzy'
- Sister Wives' Janelle Brown Says Kody Brown and Robyn Brown Owe Her Money, Threatens Legal Action
- TCU coach Sonny Dykes ejected for two unsportsmanlike penalties in SMU rivalry game
- From family road trips to travel woes: Americans are navigating skyrocketing holiday costs
- C.J. Gardner-Johnson trashes Derek Carr, Saints after Eagles' close win
- Proof Gisele Bündchen's Boyfriend Joaquim Valente Is Bonding With Her and Tom Brady's Kids
- Trial in daytime ambush of rapper Young Dolph 3 years ago to begin in Memphis
Recommendation
Trump wants to turn the clock on daylight saving time
Oklahoma vs Tennessee score: Josh Heupel, Vols win SEC opener vs Sooners
Perry Farrell getting help after Dave Navarro fight at Jane's Addiction concert, wife says
Do you know these famous Libra signs? 30 celebrities with birthdays under the Zodiac sign
Sam Taylor
Hayden Panettiere opens up about health after video interview sparks speculation
Why Kristen Bell's Marriage to Polar Opposite Dax Shepard Works Despite Arguing Over Everything
‘Beetlejuice Beetlejuice’ scares off ‘Transformers’ for third week as box office No. 1