In a move that has been criticized by many reproductive rights advocates, the North Carolina state legislature has passed a bill banning most abortions after 12 weeks of pregnancy. The legislation, which had previously been vetoed by Democratic Governor Roy Cooper, was passed after Republicans in the state legislature were able to garner the necessary three-fifths majority vote to override the veto.
The legislation, called the Care for Women, Children, and Families Act, will go into effect on July 1st and marks the latest in a series of attempts by conservative states to challenge the long-standing Supreme Court precedent protecting a woman’s right to terminate a pregnancy prior to viability.
Opponents of the bill have decried it as “dangerous” and have argued that it puts legislators in the position of making deeply personal healthcare decisions. Others have pointed out that the bill contains provisions that seem to be designed to make it more difficult for women to access abortion services in the state, such as a requirement that doctors provide medically inaccurate information to women seeking abortions.
Supporters of the bill argue that it contains a number of provisions that are designed to help women and families, including increased funding for contraception and childcare, paid leave for state employees, and other measures. However, many advocates of reproductive rights have criticized these provisions as insufficient and have argued that they are dwarfed by the harm that the bill will do to women seeking abortions in the state.
The bill passed with a vote of 72-47 in the House of Representatives, and follows similar legislation in other conservative states including South Carolina and Nebraska. If both South and North Carolina’s bans become law along with Florida’s recent ban, “it would be just devastating for abortion access in the South”, says Jamie Lockhart, executive director of Planned Parenthood Advocates of Virginia.
North Carolina has previously been seen as a haven for women seeking abortions, particularly in the wake of the Supreme Court’s decision last year to strike down parts of Roe v. Wade. However, with this new legislation, that is likely to change.
Overall, the passage of this legislation marks a significant setback for reproductive rights advocates in North Carolina, and raises serious concerns about the future of abortion access in the state and across the country.
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