Roe versus Wade in New Hampshire - 30 Years Later

Everyone knows the drill. Every January, anti-abortion activists converge on statehouses around the country to protest legalized abortion. Surely, one of the coldest rallies took place last Saturday, in front of the Statehouse in Concord. Ed Holgate is the president of New Hampshire Right-to-Life.
HOLGATE 97 are you ready? of course you’re ready, you get warmed up! you get warmed up by… doing the Lord’s will!

105/:05 applause

The response from the crowd was muffled by hundreds of pairs of heavy-duty gloves and mittens and scarves…
Former Manchester Mayor Emile Beaulieu (BOW-lee-ew) read a proclamation from New Hampshire’s first pro-life governor in six years, Craig Benson.
BOLIO :47 whereas the governor believes that the unborn need to be protected, and people in NH believe in protection of unborn.
1:10 30th anniversary. Embrace life…
FADE APPLAUSE

It’s a scene that’s played out every year around the country on or around January 22nd.
Also every year, the National Abortion Rights Action League Pro-Choice America releases a report card on state abortion laws.
LOVE :03 NH, while we love NH, is a B+.

Susan Love is with NARAL – Pro-Choice America in Washington, DC. She says New Hampshire would have gotten an “A” except that state law prohibits Medicaid funds from being used to provide abortion.
LOVE :14 you have a public funding law. That bans public funding for an abortion, unless procedure necessary to save mother’s life or pregnancy is a result of rape or incest. Which brings you into B+ category.

New Hampshire abortion-rights activists say they’ve worked hard for that grade. Until 1997, performing an abortion was a felony under a 1848 New Hampshire law. Former Governor Jeanne Shaheen signed legislation repealing that law even though the Roe versus Wade decision rendered it moot. So, if Roe versus Wade is ever overturned and the abortion issue is thrown back to the states, New Hampshire would have to pass another law.
In a very unscientific survey on a chilly Manchester street last week, some people needed to be reminded about what the court decision meant, but, with a little prompting, they voice strong opinions about Roe versus Wade.
VOXPOP MONTAGE
was that the abortion one? Um, what kind of opinion are you looking for? Whichever one you have! I’m pro-choice. For myself I’m pro-life, I would never get an abortion. I think that’s it’s the woman’s right to choose. anyway you look at it, it’s murder. But I can’t really let my opinion affect other women.

I don’t plan on having one, it doesn’t really affect me. Same here. have you heard of Roe v. Wade? Not really. I’m not planning on getting an abortion anytime soon, or ever. I think I would own up to the responsibility if I got knocked up.

I’m pro-choice. Accidents happen and I don’t think there’s any need to bring somebody into the world if you’re not prepared to take care of it.

Everyone’s their own judge. That’s what it comes down to. Between them and god. don’t do it by having people talk you into it. Because so many peple are sorry afterwards. You have to live with it for the rest of you life. I’ve known 3 people who did very young, especially young. 14, 17 and they’ve had tragic lives ever since.

I think it was a good thing. I’ve gone through it. I don’t think that the court should have any say, ti’s our bodies. If they had say I’d be in a different place right now. So that’s my opinion. Personally, it’s my body if I wanna have an abortion, it’s my right. Nobody can tell me what do to with it.

Many women were reluctant to comment on such a controversial issue. Or maybe they’re continuing the proud New Hampshire tradition of staying out of each other’s business.
Activists on both sides of the issue say the state has a tradition of independence and personal rights… Representative Phyllis Woods of Strafford started the Pro-Life Caucus in the state legislature four years ago.
WOODS :05 people in NH are very independent thinking.

Jennifer Frizzell is with Planned Parenthood of Northern New England.
FRIZZELL :09 NH has long heritage of having state stay out of women’s lives when it comes to reproductive privacy.

Frizzell and Woods don’t agree on much, but when they look back to when Roe versus Wade was brand new, they both see a very different New Hampshire…
WOODS :16 the population has shifted from quite conservative 30 years ago, to far more liberal, people form other states bring changing philosophy to NH.

FRIZZELL :17 the way that I’ve seen New Hampshire changing is that Republican party is changing and becoming more committed to restricting abortion rights. As compared to historically when there was more embracing of libertarian philosophy.

Representative Woods says she’s seeing that trend too, and she hopes it means her cause will be more successful.
WOODS :23 message sent with number of new pro-life reps and senators being elected in NH, and Gov that’s openly pro-life. Perhaps it’s time to swing pendulum back and put on reasonable restrictions that have chance of passage in both houses. :44

FRIZZELL :23 I would question whether abortion was really in voters minds back in November here in NH. The issues in forefront had more to do with income tax and economic and personal security. I’m not sure that the voters were sending them any mandate.

The Pro-Life Caucus is pushing lots of legislation this session. Their goal is to gradually reduce the number of abortions performed in New Hampshire.
There’s a bill that would establish “choose life” license plates with the fees going to promote adoption…
A bill that would require parental notification before abortions may be performed on minors.
A bill to that would require a death certificate for aborted fetuses.
A bill that would require city clerks to distribute a list of crisis pregnancy centers to married couples, and another that would prohibit them from distributing lists of family planning clinics.
Woods she decided to shelve a ban on late term abortion, at least until next year.
Even though license plates seem tangential to the real business of regulating abortion, this kind of legislation can be very divisive. Here’s an example:
Representative Woods proposed a Safe Haven bill. It would allow young mothers who give birth in secret to leave their newborn babies at hospitals without facing child abandonment charges.
But pro-choice groups say such legislation is just a band-aid on real societal problems. Planned Parenthood’s Jennifer Frizzell:
FRIZZELL :23 if this leg saves one infant’s life that’s great but this is what I’d characterize as a very simple and feel good solution to the complex societal problem of unintended pregnancy. this state has not served pregnant women well if this is the kind of solution they’re depending on in order to insure we have healthy newborns.

So even a bill designed to protect unwanted babies already born from dumpsters, a law that’s already on the books in 42 other states, becomes grounds for a public dispute about abortion and family planning. Abortion rights groups say they’re struggling to stay focused on real abortion access issues. They don’t want to let anything slide by, fearing it might set a precedent.
Meanwhile, anti-abortion groups made career politicians out of motivated New Hampshire church-goers. And in a country that has had legalized abortion for 30 years, the abortion rate has dropped to 1974 levels.
Abortion-rights groups say there’s a real prospect of going out of business. While they fight against restrictions, they’re keeping an eye on Supreme Court, Congress and the White House – and in New Hampshire, the Statehouse.
For NHPR News, I’m RMD.