Exception added to New Hampshire’s 24-week abortion ban

CONCORD, N.H. (AP) — New Hampshire’s ban on late-term abortion no longer applies in cases in which the fetus has been diagnosed with “abnormalities incompatible with life.”

Gov. Chris Sununu signed a bill Friday adding an exception to the ban on abortions after 24 weeks gestation that took effect Jan. 1. The ban, which Sununu had signed into law as part of the state budget, previously had exceptions only for pregnancies that threaten the mother’s life or health. It also required ultrasounds to be performed before any abortion, but the bill signed Friday limited that requirement.

After the leak of a draft opinion suggesting the U.S. Supreme Court is poised to overturn the Roe v. Wade decision that legalized abortion, Sununu called himself a “pro-choice governor” and said he was proud of the bill that “expands access.” But he later said on a conservative podcast that he was the first New Hampshire governor in 40 years to sign an abortion ban and “I’ve done more on the pro-life issue than anyone.”

Sununu also vetoed a bill that would have eliminated the safety zone that keeps protesters at least 25 feet (7.5 meters) away from abortion clinics.

“In the eight years since this law was originally enacted, we know of no instance where an individual or group has been harmed by it. As a result, I am not looking to make any changes at this time,” he said in his veto message.