ROLEY, North Carolina — North Carolina lawmakers on Thursday approved and sent the governor a ban on nearly all abortions after 12 weeks of pregnancy, up from the current 20 weeks, in response to last year’s repeal of Roe v. Pregnancy. Wade on the US Supreme Court.
The ban is one of the least onerous of the many bills Republican-led parliaments have pushed through in recent months since the Supreme Court struck down constitutional protections for abortion. In other states, this procedure is prohibited almost completely or throughout pregnancy.
However, the Senate’s 29–20 party-line vote was met with loud cheers of “Right to Abortion Now!” from about 100 observers who gathered in the gallery to watch the debate. The police quickly cleared the area, but the protesters were still shouting “Shame!” because of closed doors. The House of Representatives passed the measure Wednesday night in a similar party-line vote.
Although the North Carolina bill may be less restrictive, it has far-reaching implications. Prior to its passage, many women from neighboring states with stricter laws traveled to the state to have abortions later in their pregnancy.
Supporter of abortion rights, Democratic governor. Roy Cooper vowed to veto the bill, calling it “a blatant, unacceptable attack on the women of our state.” While GOP seat margins and assurances from House leaders indicate the veto is likely to be overridden, Republicans appear to have little wiggle room with votes for the bill to become law at the moment.
Democrats unsuccessfully attempted several parliamentary maneuvers to get the measure back in committee during many hours of debate. Senate Minority Leader Dan Blue of Wake County said it was “unprecedented” that all 20 members of the Democratic caucus in the House spoke out on the bill. He called the abortion vote “one of the most important things we’ve done in this House.”
Currently, state law prohibits almost all abortions after 20 weeks of pregnancy. From July 1, the restriction will be tightened to 12 weeks. It will also limit new exceptions, limiting abortions to 20 weeks in cases of rape or incest and 24 weeks in cases of “life-limiting” fetal anomalies, including certain physical or genetic disorders that can be diagnosed prenatally. The existing exemption for cases where the life of a pregnant woman is in danger will remain.
The 46-page bill, which was unveiled just this week after months of private negotiations with Republican lawmakers, also includes additional medical and paperwork requirements for patients and doctors, as well as licensing requirements for abortion clinics.
GOP lawmakers are also allocating at least $160 million for services such as maternal health, adoption care, contraceptive services, and paid leave for teachers and government employees after the birth of a child.
Senator Joyce Kravetz, a Forsyth County Republican who negotiated the measure, said during Thursday’s debate that “many of us who have worked for decades to save the unborn in the name of the sanctity of human life, we saw this as an opportunity to put forward a very life-protecting and women-protecting legislation.”
“This is a life protection plan, not a ban on abortion,” she added.
Cooper and other critics say the measure remains an infringement on reproductive freedoms and deprives women of the ability to make their own health decisions.
“This bill is an extreme and repressive step backwards for our society, and it will remove women’s right to make decisions about their own health and future,” Democratic Senator Sydney Batch of Wake County said during the debate.
Batch and others also pointed to provisions in the bill that would make it harder for abortions to take place within the new legal deadlines. They cite, for example, the requirement for women to visit a doctor in person at least 72 hours in advance. Under current law, a three-day waiting period can be initiated by telephone. The bill would also require a doctor to schedule a return visit for women who have had a medical abortion, adding to the hardship for those who work and for those traveling to North Carolina from out of state.
Republicans have been more aggressive in pushing for measures that Cooper opposed or had previously vetoed following the GOP seats in the November election. The party won a majority in both houses last month when Democratic Rep. Tricia Cotham switched to the Republican Party. Cotham, who has previously spoken out in favor of abortion rights but expressed willingness to consider further restrictions, voted in favor of the bill on Wednesday.
In a video released late Thursday night, Cooper named Cotham and three other Republican lawmakers who he said had expressed a low profile on abortion and said viewers should urge them to support his upcoming veto. One of the four was absent from the House vote on Wednesday.
The measure contains other restrictions that Cooper had successfully vetoed in previous years. Women would be banned from having abortions based on the race of the child or a prenatal diagnosis of Down syndrome. The other requires doctors and nurses to protect and care for children born alive as a result of failed abortions later in pregnancy.
Yet North Carolina Republicans, stung by defeat in the 2022 elections in suburban and congressional districts where abortion was a problem, ultimately refused to push for stricter bans like other states had done.
Meanwhile, at least 19 Democratic-dominated states have taken steps — through laws, constitutional amendments or executive orders — to protect access to abortion.
Last year, Cooper signed an executive order protecting out-of-state abortion patients from extradition and preventing government agencies under his control from assisting other states in prosecuting those who travel for the procedure.
In most states where the abortion status quo has not changed, the political leadership is divided between two parties.
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Schoenbaum is a member of the Associated Press/Report for America Statehouse News Initiative. Report for America is a nonprofit national service program that places journalists in local newsrooms to report on hidden issues.