The Democrat governor of North Carolina has vowed to veto a 12-week bill that would ban some abortions after the veto-proof Republican-controlled Senate approved the measure Thursday night.
On CNN Thursday, Gov. Roy Cooper (D) begged one Republican from each chamber of the North Carolina legislature to uphold his veto of Senate Bill 20, known as the “Care for Women, Children, and Families Act,” a measure he called a “disastrous abortion ban.”
Using the language of the abortion lobby, Cooper said, “This is the kind of thing that happens when you let right-wing politicians into the exam room with women and their doctors.”
“This bill is oppressive, it will cause clinics to close their doors,” he added.
North Carolina Republicans are pushing an extreme abortion ban that will cause many clinics to shut their doors and dramatically reduce women's health care freedom. pic.twitter.com/t6wwsYnuug
— Governor Roy Cooper (@NC_Governor) May 4, 2023
The bill, however, still allows abortions up to 20 weeks of pregnancy in cases of rape or incest.
The 46-page bill, however, does offer exceptions. In cases where rape or incest are involved, abortions would be legal for up to 20 weeks. There would be no time restrictions in cases where the pregnant mother's life would be in danger.https://t.co/yePK6PW9KP
— Louie Tran (@louie_tran) May 4, 2023
The pro-life North Carolina Values Coalition applauded the bill’s passage, calling it a “first step.”
“Passage of the ‘Care for Women, Children and Families Act’ marks the end of North Carolina as a destination for abortion and is a historic step forward for unborn babies and their mothers,” said the group’s executive director Tami Fitzgerald in a statement.
“We applaud the General Assembly for taking this courageous first step in protecting life for the unborn and providing care for pregnant women in hard circumstances,” Fitzgerald added. “This is the beginning of creating a culture of life in North Carolina where every life is valued, and every precious baby has a legal right to take his or her first breath.”
In a statement sent to The Star News Network, Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life America’s southern regional director Caitlin Connors said a recent survey found 62 percent of North Carolina voters support protecting unborn babies from abortion “by at least 12 weeks, and Americans oppose late-term abortions by the same margin.”
Connors added:
Democrats within the state and nationally who oppose this measure are out-of-touch with the will of the people. Democrats are for allowing abortion at the point when an unborn child can feel pain and at the same gestational stages that babies who undergo in utero surgery receive anesthesia. Such a position is a political liability for Gov. Cooper, Attorney General Stein and pro-abortion Democrats across the nation. The governor’s position of allowing supporting abortion through nine months of pregnancy is extreme.
One national pro-life organization, however, said the North Carolina bill, on its own, is weak.
Students for Life Action (SFLAction) said that the organization representing many of America’s pro-life young people is “disappointed to see ‘pro-life Republicans’ in North Carolina’s State House vote in favor of legislation that recklessly allows abortions up to 12-weeks.”
“Their efforts to back this bill rather than stronger protections for the preborn is a missed opportunity,” said Dustin Curtis, SFLAction vice president of political affairs and operations, adding:
There’s nothing about this bill that ‘bans’ abortions as media outlets claim. North Carolina leaders will instead ensure nearly every abortion is allowed rather than protect innocent babies from violence in the womb.
Members who support this effort while trying to suppress the effectiveness of Heartbeat Abortion Prevention Acts or Life at Conception legislation are siding against true commonsense protections for women and the preborn.
SFLAction noted in its statement that “in North Carolina, 86% of abortions take place before 12-weeks which would make passing this bill through the Senate highly ineffective.”
“North Carolina leaders can prevent nearly 90% of elective abortions from taking place by addressing first trimester procedures, the time in which most abortions are occurring, and shutting down the predatory abortion industry,” the group stated.
It's not extreme, it's on par with France for Pete's sake
— I'mma Duck (@imgoingtoduck) May 4, 2023
A 12 week limit to when abortions are permitted would very likely pass on a national referendum. The extreme position is that abortion should be allowed up until the day of birth.
— gschumann (@gschuman) May 5, 2023
Cooper received pushback on Twitter against his claim the bill is “oppressive,” with some observing the ban is on par with what is allowed in France and that the “extreme” position on abortion is that of the Democrats, who now are pressing for a right to abortion up until the day of birth.
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Susan Berry, PhD, is national education editor at The Star News Network. Email tips to [email protected]
Photo “Roy Cooper” by Roy Cooper. Background Photo “North Carolina Capitol” by Jim Bowen. CC BY 2.0.
