Abortion Limit Vetoes Overturned

The Alaska Legislature passed two restrictive abortion bills, overriding vetoes by Gov. Tony Knowles. The new laws now face likely court challenges by abortion-rights activists. Both vetoes were overridden 40-19, the exact two-thirds vote Republican leaders needed to overturn the Democratic governor’s action. One of the new laws requires pregnant teens 16 and younger to get a parent’s or judge’s permission for an abortion. The other bans a type of procedure used in some late-term abortions where a fetus is partly delivered through the birth canal then destroyed. The ban would make it a crime for doctors to use the procedure unless the patient’s life was in danger. The Alaska Pro-Choice Alliance said it will file lawsuits to overturn both abortion laws.