"I got some quite upsetting news on Friday," he said. "I was told by the speaker of the House that there has been a very significant amount of Republicans, some of my Republican counterparts, who have talked to him privately and said they don't want this bill to go forward."

Sandstrom said he thinks some Republicans will try to turn the bill back into a "trigger ban," which would only make abortions illegal in the state if Roe vs. Wade were overturned. He said his colleagues who don't support the bill are caving in to political pressure.

"If you look at our county platform, our state platform, our national platform as Republicans, we are pro-life," he said. "I think that if we can spend — and I know it's not the same money — but if we can spend $35 million on buying a parking structure for a (soccer) stadium, then we should be able to take $1.2 million to take this bill and defend it (in the court system)."

---

E-mail: rwestenskow@desnews.com