Today's Cluster of Cells Outrage-Fest Boogaloo is a real doozie.

Yesterday the North Dakota House passed their stringent "fetal personhood" amendment with a 57-35 vote, which, when proposed to voters in 2014, will ban all abortion with no exceptions for rape, incest, or when the woman's life is endangered by the pregnancy. But the ripple effect continues throughout women's health issues; it may outlaw some forms of contraception and IVF.


Here's Keith Mason, president of the anti-abortion advocacy group Personhood USA, lying through his teeth:

"This amendment strikes the balance of accomplishing more for the unborn than any other amendment the nation has ever seen, while protecting pregnant women and their right to true medical care."


Did the definition of "protecting" change to "oppressing"?

Similar bans were turned down in Mississippi and Colorado, but North Dakota—which recently pushed through a six-week abortion ban courtesy of our best Jesus-friend Bette Grande—has now established itself as one of the nation's frontrunners in anti-choice butthurt. The president of the North Dakota Medical association calls it "a direct insertion of the state into the physician/patient relationship" and fears that it may even affect life-saving organ transplants.

Even some of the state's Republicans oppose it, and plan to join a women's health rally on Monday.

Representative Kathy Hawken says: "We have stepped over the line. North Dakota hasn't even passed a primary seatbelt law, but we have the most invasive attack on women's health anywhere. [...] I have so many friends with grandchildren from in vitro fertilization, and to take that away from these people who desperately want children is not okay... I believe if men had babies we would not be having this discussion."


Another bill passed in February at the same time aimed to shut down the sole women's health clinic in the state, the Red River Women's Clinic in Fargo.

'North Dakota Lawmakers Send ‘Personhood' Amendment to Voters' [Bloomberg]

'North Dakota Personhood Measure Passes State House' [HuffPo]

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