NATION IN BRIEF : NORTH DAKOTA : Wait for Abortion Upheld on Appeal

A federal appeals court upheld a North Dakota law that requires a 24-hour waiting period for abortions. The U.S. 8th Circuit Court of Appeals ruled 2 to 1 that the “informed consent” law was not an undue burden for rural women and pregnant minors. The law had been challenged by the Fargo Women’s Health Organization, the only clinic for abortions in the state. The clinic argued that the law could require two, and possibly even three, long-distance trips. The law requires that the state make available information about fetal development and abortion alternatives. In the case of a pregnant minor, the information must be given to the girl’s parents.