NCJW Applauds Nebraska Abortion Ban Decision
Nebraska Ruling Is Third Declaring Law Unconstitutional
September 8, 2004, Washington, DC -- US District Judge Richard Kopf of Lincoln, Nebraska became the third judge to rule that the "Partial Birth Abortion Ban Act," signed into law by the President on November 5, 2003, is unconstitutional. In response to today's ruling, Marsha Atkind, President of the National Council of Jewish Women (NCJW), issued the following statement:
"The National Council of Jewish Women applauds the decision in Center for Reproductive Rights (CRR) v. Ashcroft handed down by a federal district court in Nebraska today. The courts in New York, San Francisco and now Nebraska have confirmed what we've known all along -- that the abortion ban enacted last year is unconstitutional. This ruling reaffirms that any law that would put a woman's life at risk is unconstitutional, echoing the Supreme Court's decision in Stenberg v. Carhart in 2000. This draconian ban, opposed by NCJW, outlaws some abortion procedures performed as early as 12 to 15 weeks in pregnancy, including those that physicians say are safe and among the best in terms of protecting a woman's health. Under this law, women's lives and health have been put at risk.
"NCJW is pleased that physicians covered by this ruling will once again be able to provide the best and most appropriate care for their patients without fear of criminal prosecution."
NCJW is a volunteer organization, inspired by Jewish values, that works to improve the quality of life for women, children, and families and to ensure individual rights and freedoms for all through its network of 90,000 members, supporters, and volunteers nationwide.
Contact:
Becky Dansky
202 296 2588; becky@ncjwdc.org