北卡罗来纳州俾斯麦——北达科他州州长道格·伯格姆(Doug Burgum)部分否决了一项旨在惩罚该州11所高校向促进或实施堕胎的个人或组织输送联邦赠款的法案。
这位共和党州长在周五晚些时候的否决信息中表示，“针对我们公立高等教育机构的数百万美元罚款和对州雇员的强制性刑事指控”是“有问题的”。
伯格姆否决了法案中包含制裁的部分，他引用了州法律，该法律已经禁止“州的一个机构”资助或支持不“优先考虑、鼓励和支持正常分娩”的项目。伯格姆说，他没有否决的部分旨在澄清，除非机构遵守反堕胎政策，否则他们没有资格获得挑战赠款。
由共和党领导的北达科他州立法机构通过了这项法案，其主要目的是防止北达科他州州立大学向计划生育在这个州进行性教育。
该法案称，任何与“实施或促进堕胎的人”签订合同的机构都将被削减2.5%的运营预算。签署合同的学校官员还将面临轻罪指控，最高可处以30天监禁和1500美元罚款。
这项制裁将意味着对位于法戈的研究型大学280万美元的打击。
这所大学每年获得的25万美元资助来自美国卫生和公众服务部。NDSU总统迪安·布雷西亚尼说，拨款将于9月到期，不会延期，但不是因为立法机构的制裁威胁。
布雷西亚尼说，他不会屈服于政治压力，也不会因该学校与计划生育有关联而提议对其进行制裁。他称之为“学术自由问题”
该法案从州普通基金中拨款1110万美元用于挑战赠款项目，该项目在所有学校用于奖学金和研究等项目。这笔钱与私人或其他资金一对一匹配。
参议院以35票对11票通过了该法案。共和党领导的众议院以66票对25票通过了这项措施。
伯格姆引用的州法律已经禁止机构资助、认可或支持“任何在正常分娩和堕胎之间不对正常分娩给予偏好、鼓励和支持的项目”。
立法机构于4月30日休会，不太可能再次开会挑战否决权。
在否决信息中，伯格姆重申了该州在堕胎问题上的高度保守立场。
“北达科他州有强有力的反堕胎公共政策，我们的政府有将反堕胎立法签署成法律的良好记录，”伯格姆写道。“北达科他州立法机构已经明确表示，我们的政府同意，纳税人的资金不应用于资助堕胎。”
ND governor vetoes penalizing state colleges over abortions
BISMARCK, N.D. -- North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum has partially vetoed a bill aimed at penalizing the state’s 11 colleges and universities for funneling federal grant money to individuals or organizations that promote or perform abortions.
The Republican governor said in his veto message late Friday that the “multimillion-dollar penalties directed toward our public higher education institutions and mandatory criminal charges against state employees” is “problematic.”
Burgum vetoed the portion of the bill that contains the sanctions, citing state law that already forbids “an agency of the state” from funding or supporting programs that do not “give preference, encouragement and support to normal childbirth.” Burgum said the sections he did not veto were intended to clarify that unless institutions abide by anti-abortion policies, they are ineligible to receive challenge grant dollars.
The Republican-led North Dakota Legislature passed the bill, which was primarily aimed at preventing North Dakota State University from funneling grant money toPlanned Parenthoodfor sex education in the state.
The bill says any institution that enters into a contract with “a person that performs or promotes the performance of an abortion” would have its operating budget cut by 2.5%. The school official signing the contract also would face a misdemeanor charge punishable by up to 30 days in jail and a $1,500 fine.
The sanction would mean a $2.8 million blow to the Fargo-based research university.
The $250,000 annual grant to the university comes from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. NDSU President Dean Bresciani has said the grant expires in September and won’t be renewed, but not because of the Legislature’s threat of sanctions.
Bresciani said that he won’t bow to political pressure or proposed sanctions against the school for having ties to Planned Parenthood. He called it “a matter of academic freedom.”
The bill appropriates $11.1 million from the state’s General Fund for the Challenge Grant program that’s used at all schools for such things as scholarships and research. The money is matched two-to-one with private or other funds.
The Senate passed the bill, 35-11. The GOP-led House passed the measure 66-25.
Burgum cited state law already prevents agencies from funding, endorsing, or supporting "any program that, between normal childbirth and abortion, does not give preference, encouragement, and support to normal childbirth.”
The Legislature adjourned April 30 and is unlikely to reconvene to challenge the veto.
In the veto message, Burgum reaffirmed the highly conservative state’s stance on abortion.
“North Dakota has strong pro-life public policies, and our administration has a strong record of signing pro-life legislation into law,” Burgum wrote. “The North Dakota legislature has made clear, and our administration agrees, that taxpayer funding should not go toward funding abortions.”
