Three Abortion Bills Pass Senate | Video

Jessica Roose | 2/7/2013

Whenever the subject of abortion comes up, there`s no shortage of opinions. It was no different Thursday afternoon as state Senators voted on four bills on relating to that subject. Lawmakers spent nearly two hours debating the issues and in the end passed three of the bills.

One acknowledges the right to life of every human being at every stage of development and to put the issue on the November ballot.

Another one would require that abortions only be performed by a physician who is licensed to practice in the state.

"The reality is we have abortions being performed at a very significant time of the pregnancy when complication rates are high. We don`t have a mechanism to know the quality of the people performing those abortions," said Republican Senator Spencer Berry of Fargo.

"I don`t like abortions. I think they`re terrible. But I do believe that decisions like that should be left up to the woman, her family and her God, not a group of people in the legislature," said Republican Senator Stanley Lyson of Williston.

Democratic Senator Connie Triplett of Grand Forks tried unsuccessfully three times to add an amendment that would allocate one million dollars to cover possible court fees for challenges to the bills.

The only bill that failed dealt with the treatment of embryos relating to in vitro fertilization.

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