New Hampshire strikes down parental notification law for abortions

Concord, N.H., Jul 2, 2007 / 07:26 am

New Hampshire became the first U.S. state to repeal a law requiring parental notification for teenage girls to get abortions.

The repeal took effect immediately after New Hampshire Governor John Lynch signed the bill on Friday, reported The Associated Press.

Lynch said he believes parents should be involved in these decisions regarding their children, reported the AP.

"Unfortunately that is not possible in every case,” he reportedly said. “The Supreme Court found this law unconstitutional because it fails to protect the health and safety of all women, which is why I am signing its repeal."

State Rep. Fran Wendelboe, who fought to keep the law, criticized Lynch for "siding with the abortion lobby against parents' rights.

"It's unsafe for young teens to have a surgical procedure like that without an adult aware of the possibility of complications," she said.

Republican Party Chairman Fergus Cullen said Lynch took a radical approach to a moderate law that could have been fixed.

"One can be pro-choice and still believe that parents have a right to know whether their minor daughter became pregnant," Cullen reportedly said. "Governor Lynch is saying that parents don't have a right to know their minor children became pregnant."

According to the AP, 44 U.S. states have parental notification laws. Nine, including New Hampshire's, were unenforceable because they were being challenged in court by Planned Parenthood.