North Carolina Governor Roy Cooper said, 12-week abortion prohibited State legislatures would effectively “ban many.” Abortion All in all.”
“They’re framing it as a 12-week abortion ban, but it’s really not,” the Democratic governor told “Face the Nation,” referring to the state’s Republican lawmakers. “They passed a bill within 48 hours without any public input, without any amendments, that drastically curtails women’s access to reproductive freedom.
“It would effectively ban many abortions altogether, because of the barriers they create for women, for clinics and for doctors.”
Last week, North Carolina lawmakers approved a ban on nearly all abortions after 12 weeks of pregnancy starting July 1, a change from the current 20 weeks. Cooper has vowed to veto the bill, but Republicans have veto-proof majorities in both chambers.
The ban limits abortion to 20 weeks in cases of rape or incest and 24 weeks for “life-limiting” fetal anomalies, including certain physical or genetic disorders. There are exceptions when the mother’s life is in danger.
CBS News
The bill includes more treatment and paperwork requirements for women and physicians, including that women visit a medical professional in person at least 72 hours before the procedure. Current law allows for a three-day waiting period to begin over the phone. Follow-up visits are required for women who have had medically induced abortions, which can be difficult for women traveling to North Carolina from out of state.
“For medication abortions, the bill specifically limits it to 10 weeks,” Cooper said Sunday. “With more requirements placed on clinics that are already strained with four-week backlogs — North Carolina has become an access point in the Southeast — and what this law is going to do is prevent many women from getting abortions at any given time during their pregnancy. Because of the obstacles they put up here.”
Cooper said the new requirements would “have to close” a “lot” of abortion clinics in the state.
Asked how he plans to stop Republicans from overriding his veto, he said all it takes is a Republican to keep their campaign promises.
“At least four Republican legislators promised their constituents during this campaign that they were going to protect women’s reproductive freedom,” he said. “They only have a supermajority with one vote in the Senate and one vote in the House.”
Cooper said he plans to visit Republican-led districts this week to educate voters about what the bill does.
“We’re not going to pretend this thing is something reasonable when it’s not,” he said.
The fight over abortion
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