BISMARCK, N.D. (AP) — As oil-rich North Dakota moves toward outlawing most abortions, it's in a better position than most states for what could be a long and costly court battle over its restrictions.
Lawmakers on Friday sent the Republican governor two anti-abortion bills. One bans the procedure as early as six weeks into a pregnancy. The other prohibits women from having the procedure because a fetus has a genetic defect. They would give North Dakota the most restrictive abortion laws in the U.S
Abortion-rights activists have promised a legal battle if the measures become law.
Supporters of the anti-abortion measures say they want to challenge the U.S. Supreme Court's 1973 Roe v. Wade ruling that legalized abortion.
North Dakota has a budget surplus nearing $2 billion, thanks to new-found oil wealth.
