North Dakota Senate passes "Life at Conception" bill to State House

February 8, 2013

By Al Ortiz

BISMARCK, North Dakota: On February 7, the North Dakota State Senate passed a measure that would amend the North Dakota Constitution to state that life begins at conception.

The measure may appear on the November 2014 ballot in North Dakota as a legislatively referred constitutional amendment.

Now that the Senate has approved, the proposal must pass the North Dakota House of Representatives in order to be placed on the ballot.

Section 16 of Article IV of the North Dakota Constitution very simply says, "Any amendment to this constitution may be proposed in either house of the legislative assembly, and if agreed to upon a roll call by a majority of the members elected to each house, must be submitted to the electors and if a majority of the votes cast thereon are in the affirmative, the amendment is a part of this constitution."

See also

• North Dakota 2014 ballot measures
• North Dakota State Legislature
• Legislatively-referred constitutional amendment