NH abortion, drunken driving and animal welfare laws take effect

CONCORD, New Hampshire — The new year brings new laws for New Hampshire, including an abortion ban that was passed as part of the state budget.

The budget Gov. Chris Sununu signed in June contained a provision prohibiting abortion after 24 weeks of gestation, with exceptions for the mother’s life or physical health. It takes effect Jan. 1, and Democrats already have drafted legislation seeking to repeal the new restrictions and to establish state-level protection for abortion access. Some also want to include the right to make reproductive medical decisions a constitutional right.

“Make no mistake, effective January first, the state of New Hampshire will be denying a woman the dignity to make personal, private decisions and instead inserting government into medical choices,” Rep. Marjorie Smith, D-Durham, said at a news conference earlier this month.

Other new laws taking effect Jan. 1 include:

Tyler Shaw’s law

Judges will be allowed to give longer prison sentences to repeat drunken drivers who kill or cause harm to others under a new law named for a Concord man who died in 2018.

Read more: https://bangordailynews.com/2021/12/28/news/new-england/nh-abortion-drunken-driving-and-animal-welfare-laws-take-effect/