On February 17, the North Dakota House of Representatives passed a bill intended to ban abortion. The so-called "personhood" bill also could have lead to bans on birth control, stem-cell research, and in-vitro fertilization. Fortunately, the North Dakota Senate rejected the bill and it did not become law.

The anti-choice movement is began its "guerilla warfare" with North Dakota because they thought no one would notice. The rejection of this measure is a victory for pro-choice activists, who sent thousands of messages to North Dakota lawmakers.

Questions and Answers

Q. What was this bill about?
A. This so-called "personhood" bill was intended to ban abortion. But it could have also lead to bans on birth control, stem-cell research and in-vitro fertilization.

Q. What happened with this bill?
A. On February 17, 2009, the North Dakota House of Representatives passed a bill that would ban abortion. The state Senate rejected the bill on April 3, 2009.

Q. Why is this so important?
A. North Dakota does not have a single pro-choice law on the books that helps prevent unintended pregnancy. Women in North Dakota have no safeguard against pharmacies that refuse to fill prescriptions for birth control; no guarantee that their insurance companies will cover their prescription birth control; and no assurance that they can access emergency contraception at the hospital in the case of sexual assault. In this time of economic need, North Dakota lawmakers should focus on improving women's health care, not taking away their ability to make personal decisions.

Q. How does North Dakota rank in the nation when it comes to choice?
A. North Dakota is rated as the second-worst in the nation when it comes to choice. But anti-choice politicians are not satisfied with that horrible mark. They are taking their fight to ban abortion even further.

Q. Have other states seen this kind of attack?
A. In 2008, Colorado voters overwhelmingly defeated a "personhood" ballot measure. So far in 2009, this type of legislation has been introduced in seven states.