Efforts to enshrine abortion rights in New Hampshire fail

LEBANON, N.H. (WCAX) - Attempts to enshrine abortion rights into New Hampshire state law failed Thursday.

Since January, the state has outlawed the procedure after 24 weeks gestation, with exceptions only for pregnancies that threaten the mother’s life or health.

An amendment attached to an existing Senate bill repealing buffer zones around clinics, sought to legalize abortions up to 24 weeks. Some lawmakers worry that if Roe v. Wade is repealed, as a leaked U.S. Supreme Court opinion indicated, that a woman’s right to choose in New Hampshire could be further eroded by the majority in the Statehouse.

“What we know is that those who oppose a position like mine could come forward and try to strike first and actually outlaw this altogether. So, what we would like to do is be proactive and put a law on the books that actually codifies safe legal access to abortion care,” said Sen. Sue Prentiss, D-Lebanon, a co-sponsor of the amendment.

Democrats in both the House and Senate Thursday tried to add amendments to other bills but failed in both chambers.

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