March 13. 2013
Mr. Chairman and Members of the Committee, my name is Janne Myrdal, and I am the State Director for Concerned Women for America (CWA) of North Dakota. We are here today on behalf of our North Dakota members in support of SB2305.
As the nation’s largest public policy women’s organization, CWA strongly supports the provisions in SB2305 which would guarantee continuity of patient care for women having undergone the procedure of abortion. Policies that assure quality care for patients, and in this case women, is of the uttermost importance to the public at large and should have broad support. Continued medical care after such a seriously invasive procedure as abortion is the right of all patients, and CWA fails to see that this legislation would put an undue burden on any facility or physician engaging in the procedure of abortion.
This is pro-women legislation that applies common sense practical guidelines that are aimed at providing protection for women patients all across our state.
It may be worth noting this passage in the court records of the Roe v Wade decision (the quote comes from the section of the opinion dealing with the State’s interest in protecting the life and health of the mother):
“The State has a legitimate interest in seeing to it that abortion, like any other medical procedure, is performed under circumstances that insure maximum safety for the patient. This interest obviously extends at least to the performing physicians and his staff, to the facilities involved, to the availability of after-care, and to adequate provision for any complication or emergency that might arise.” (Emphasis added) Roe v Wade, 410 U.S. 113, pg.150 (1973).
We would urge a “do pass” on SB2305, as CWA and its members believe this should be an absolutely non debatable legislation.