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SALT LAKE CITY (AP) -- The Utah Senate has given its initial approval to creating a legal defense fund to challenge Roe v. Wade.
House Bill 114 would create a fund that accepts private donations to help offset any legal fees the state would incur if it were to pass an abortion ban by 2014. Defending a law that bans abortion in most cases would likely cost the state millions of dollars.
Rep. Ken Sumsion, R-American Fork, says he's sponsoring the bill to get the public more involved in deciding whether to challenge the landmark 1973 U.S. Supreme Court ruling.
The bill was approved in the Senate 22-3 on Thursday. It has already been approved in the House, and will need one more formal vote in the Senate before heading to the governor.
(Copyright 2009 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
