By Dave Andrusko
Pro-abortion North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper spent last week criss-crossing the state looking for one Republican to uphold his veto of SB 20 which would protect unborn babies after the 12th week.
“If just one Republican in either the House or the Senate keeps a campaign promise to protect women’s reproductive health, we can stop this ban,” Cooper said Saturday.
“Override votes in the two chambers, each of which requires a three-fifths vote of those present to succeed, have not yet been scheduled,” Kate Kelly of the New York Times reported this morning. “But state lawmakers and lobbyists said over the weekend that they expected to see a vote as early as this week.”
All Republicans would have to vote to override Cooper’s veto. The Senate voted 29-20 for the Care for Women, Children, and Families Act while the House voted 71-46.
North Carolina Right to Life explained that
North Carolina Right to Life works to save the life of every unborn child it possibly can.
We hope the new law, which allows unlimited abortion for the first 12 weeks of pregnancy, saves many precious lives. But we know that statistically about 90% of abortions occur before 12 weeks. This means that many, many babies with beating hearts will continue to die.
The abortion tragedy in North Carolina has not been solved and we will continue to work for life until these babies are safe as well.
The Bill
protects babies from chemical and surgical abortion after 12 weeks except allowing abortions for rape and incest up to 20 weeks. It also allows abortion for “life limiting anomalies” up to 24 weeks. The 46-page document defines chemical and surgical abortion, as well as giving a thorough list of complications from such medical interference.
The Bill maintains the 72-hour waiting period, expands informed consent standards for women, ensuring that attestations are signed and understood, and it gives women the right to sue under the laws of the State if she feels she has been coerced or misled prior to obtaining an abortion.
For those seeking chemical abortion, they must be examined in person by a physician to check gestational age and risk of ectopic pregnancy. It specifies that chemical abortions are limited to 70 days (10 weeks) or less, gestational age as per the current FDA recommendations.
After 12 weeks, “the bill mandates that all other abortions permitted under the exceptions for rape, incest, fetal anomalies and to preserve the life of the mother be obtained at a hospital,” Rachel Crumpler and Rose Hoban reported for North Carolina Health News.
Gov. Cooper, Kelly wrote, “appeared troubled by the political state of play.” By that she means that in his more than six years in office Cooper was able to successfully veto more than 50 bills passed by Republicans.
The mid-terms elections left Republicans one vote short of the 3/5’s needed to overcome Cooper’s veto. Last month, however, Tricia Cotham, a former Democrat, switched parties and voted in favor of SB 20. She said she had been “bullied” by the party.
“The modern-day Democratic Party has become unrecognizable to me and to so many others throughout this state and this country,” Cotham said when she announced. “They have pushed me out.”