North Dakota’s Republican Governor Doug Burgum signed legislation on Monday that prohibits abortion during pregnancy. Doug Burgum has signed a bill that bans abortions throughout pregnancy with a few exceptions.

Abortion would only be permitted in the early weeks of pregnancy in cases of rape or incest, or in medical emergencies such as an ectopic pregnancies.

Burgum stated in a press release that the bill “clarifies and refines state law… and reaffirms North Dakota’s status as a prolife state”.

The U.S. Supreme Court’s ruling last year overturning Roe vs. Wade, which legalized abortion in the United States, triggered a number of state laws that ban or restrict the procedure. Legal challenges were raised against many of them. At least 13 states have banned abortions at any stage of pregnancy, and others are on hold due to court injunctions. In contrast, Democratic Governors from at least 20 States launched a network this year to increase abortion access after the U.S. Supreme Court ruling that removed women’s constitutional rights to terminate a pregnancy.

North Dakota’s law will take effect immediately. However, the state Supreme Court last month ruled that a ban on abortions from a few years ago would remain in place while a legal challenge to its constitutionality is being conducted. Last week, legislators said they planned to pass the latest law as a signal to the state’s highest court that North Dakotans want to restrict abortion.

Opponents claim that the measure signed on Monday will have devastating consequences for women and girls.

North Dakota has no abortion clinics. The state’s sole abortion clinic, the Red River Women’s Clinic in Fargo, closed its doors last summer and relocated operations to Moorhead, Minnesota where abortion is still legal. The clinic owner continues to pursue a lawsuit against the constitutionality North Dakota’s former abortion ban.

This new ban is expected to be challenged in court.

The latest state legislation was sponsored by Republican Senator Janne Myrdal of Edinburg.

Myrdal stated in an interview that North Dakota has always believed in the value of moms and their children. “We are very happy and grateful to the governor for standing by this value.”

Liz Conmy, a Democratic representative from Massachusetts, voted against this bill and expressed her hope that Burgum wouldn’t sign it.

Conmy stated that women in North Dakota would not accept the situation and will take action to regain their rights. Conmy said that although the majority of our legislators are pro-pregnancy I believe women would prefer to make their decisions.