2 years later, how the U.S. Supreme Court overturning Roe vs. Wade has affected the area

FARGO — Overturning Roe vs. Wade on June 24, 2022, had major impacts for North Dakota.

“So within a few days of that, the Attorney General certified the trigger ban, and a 30-day time clock started running in North Dakota,” said Tammi Kromenaker, Red River Women’s Clinic director.

The trigger law prohibits abortion at all stages of pregnancy, except in the case of death or serious health risk.

“We had managed to get an injunction on the trigger ban, so it didn’t go into effect at the end of July,” said Kromenaker.

The ban prompted the state’s only clinic to provide abortions in downtown Fargo to make a move across the Red River into Moorhead.

The former building for the Red River Women’s Clinic that’s been in downtown Fargo for 24 years saw its last patient on August 3, 2022.

Kromenaker said the new location in Moorhead saw its first patient on August 10, 2022.

“We’re seeing about 10 to 15% more patients each week at our new space,” said Kromenaker.

She says no 24-hour waiting period is behind the increase and they’re expecting more patients from Iowa once that state’s six-week ban goes into effect.

“Many of our patients face a lot of economic obstacles. Our waiting room is often filled with a you know, cross section of our demographics that we serve in this area,” said Kromenaker.

The Red River Women’s Clinic is actively involved in a lawsuit with several OBGYN physicians in North Dakota against the state of North Dakota over

SB 2150

, which passed in 2023.

Twenty-one states have passed abortion bans, including North Dakota. It’s something executive director Bridget Turbide of North Dakota Right to Life has fought for for years.

“We have a public that is very pro-life,” Turbide said.

She says abortion bans across the country push them to focus more on educating mothers and funding pregnancy centers.

“We have pregnancy centers throughout the state that we really try to steer people towards. They help with everything from parenting classes to providing strollers, providing diapers, providing free ultrasounds, pregnancy tests,” said Turbide.

Despite the decision two years ago, it’s a fight that continues for both sides.

The Red River Women’s Clinic is working with state lawmakers for Medicaid reimbursements and the North Dakota Right to Life is working to bring educational training in 2025.

My name is Anne Sara, better known as Sara.
I was born an only child in Port-au-prince, Haiti and moved to the U.S at the age of 2.
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania is where I was raised.
After graduating with my bachelor degree at Albright College, I moved to Florida to continue my studies.
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