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New Abortion Restrictions in New Hampshire Rile Health Care Providers

Dwain Currier

Less than one percent of the abortions that occur in the United States happen after 21 weeks, according to data from the CDC as of 2019. Nonetheless New Hampshire woke up on Jan 1st to a new law that bans the procedure after 24 weeks.

In addition to the 24 week ban, the law also requires all women considering an abortion to have an ultrasound. If you are a health care provider who performs an abortion after 24 weeks, you could be charged with a felony and face a fine between $10-thousand and $100-thousand. The only exception is if the woman’s life is at stake.

The sponsor of the abortion ban that was attached to the New Hampshire state budget defends it as a reasonable step to protect state interests.

“These are future citizens and having unrestricted abortion flies in the face of reasonable protection of life,” State Rep. Walter Stapleton (R-Claremont) told And Another Thing.

Long time abortion opponents say they until now they have always managed to fight back efforts to restrict abortion in New Hampshire, but have long feared this day might come.

“I do believe the women of the state of New Hampshire, once they find out what this actually is and the penalties and how it does restrict their freedom of choice, that they would not be happy and would vote accordingly,” said former New Hampshire State Sen. Bette Laske.

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