Barbara Holt, President, North Carolina Right to Life
WASHINGTON – By a vote of 29-20, the North Carolina Senate today joined with the state’s House of Representatives to override Governor Beverly Perdue’s June 27 veto of the Women’s Right to Know bill. The vote comes one day after the North Carolina House voted 72-47 to override Perdue’s veto of the informed consent law.
“At long last, North Carolina has taken the necessary steps to ensure that mothers receive the factual, non judgmental, and scientifically accurate information they need to make an informed decision about a procedure that means life or death for their unborn children.” stated Barbara Holt, President of North Carolina Right to Life. “Many unborn children’s lives will be saved and their mothers will be spared much heartache when the law takes effect later this year.”
“This is a tremendous victory for the mothers of North Carolina,” said Mary Spaulding Balch, director of state legislation for the National Right to Life Committee. “In overriding Governor Perdue’s veto, the legislature has empowered mothers across the state by ensuring that these women receive vital information before making this life or death decision.”
Balch added, “History and experience show that when mothers are empowered with information, they choose life for their unborn children. Knowing this, the abortion industry has worked ceaselessly against this law – protecting its financial bottom line at the expense of North Carolina’s mothers. The legislature has said, ‘enough is enough.’”
The informed consent law provides that a booklet containing scientifically accurate information about risks, alternatives and information on the development of the unborn child, compiled by the Department of Health and Human Services, be offered to the mother at least 24 hours prior to an abortion so that she might have the opportunity to read and understand the information. It also provides that an ultrasound image of the unborn child be displayed at least four hours prior to an abortion so that the mother might view the image.
“This common-sense law has been a legislative priority for North Carolina Right to Life for more than two decades, and they have finally succeeded in passing it,” Balch said. “We thank the legislators who stood up for women’s rights this week and congratulate the countless right-to-life activists who tirelessly lobbied their elected officials to enact the Women’s Right to Know law.”