NH House Republicans withdraw 15-week abortion ban bill amid public backlash and internal GOP dissent

A highly-anticipated Republican bill aimed at establishing a 15-week abortion ban in New Hampshire — down from the current 24-week ban — was withdrawn by its sponsor Monday morning after intense backlash from Granite Staters and political pressure from Republicans in Concord.

In terse remarks before Monday’s hearing, the bill’s sponsor, Representative Katy Paternel (R-Tuftonboro), said the bill had been withdrawn before standing up and leaving the hearing without offering an explanation as to why.

Despite withdrawing the bill there was still visible dissension in the ranks of House Republican leadership, with Assistant House Majority Leader Jeanine Notter testifying in favor of the bill.

“With all due respect to my caucus, I have a higher power to answer to, and my conscience dictates that I must go on record,” Notter said. 

House Democrats were quick to call out Republicans for having such a high profile member of Republican leadership go on the record in support of the bill.

“Let’s be clear: if Republicans didn’t want to strip away your rights, they wouldn’t have introduced a 15-week abortion ban in the first place… But even that didn’t stop a member of their leadership from testifying in favor of the ban,” said Democratic House Leader Alexis Simpson.

“Make no mistake, New Hampshire Republicans are determined to roll back your reproductive freedoms — if not today, then in the very near future.”\

Democratic strategists agreed, saying the move was a major miscalculation by Republicans, tipping their hand that they were indeed not done pushing for greater abortion restrictions in the state, but merely biding their time until the political winds shifted in their favor.

RELATED: NH Republicans backtrack on election promises, propose new abortion restrictions

Many New Hampshire political insiders said Paternel was likely bombarded with pressure to withdraw the bill, especially from loyalists to Republican Governor Kelly Ayotte, who would be put in a challenging political position by having to either veto the bill or break her campaign promise to not sign more restrictive abortion bills during her tenure had the bill made its way to her desk.

Public support against the bill was overwhelming, with over 11,000 Granite Staters signing up to oppose the legislation.

New Hampshire Republicans poured millions of dollars into ads during the 2024 election cycle promising that they would not push for greater abortion restrictions if elected, a promise they broke less than two months after the election, with a slate of new abortion restriction bills, including this 15-week abortion ban.

Chair of the New Hampshire Democratic Party Ray Buckley said Granite Staters were paying attention.

“​​House and Senate Republicans have proposed multiple anti-choice bills this legislative session after they promised Granite Staters last year they would not pursue changes in New Hampshire’s abortion laws. These extreme bills underscore the NHGOP’s obsession with using the government to interfere in our personal lives and their refusal to address the real challenges that our state is facing, from skyrocketing property taxes to the ongoing housing and childcare crises, which have only worsened under Republican control.” 

While this bill is likely finished for 2025, other abortion-restriction bills including a travel ban are set to be taken up, testing the limits of the Governor’s promise not to sign bills that restrict abortion access in the state.