NCGA overrides Gov. Cooper’s veto of extreme abortion ban; law takes effect July 1
Despite the fact that four Republican members of the North Carolina General Assembly campaigned on not further restricting abortion rights or voting for extreme anti-abortion legislation, all four of them lied and helped override Gov. Roy Cooper’s veto of the ban last month.
In case you needed a reminder, here are the four responsible for banning abortion in North Carolina:
- Sen. Michael Lee (R-New Hanover) said last year that he had a “moderate stance” on the issue of abortion. He voted for the 12-week ban and to override the governor’s veto.
- Rep. Ted Davis (R-New Hanover) said last year that he supported allowing abortions up to 20 weeks. He didn’t show up to vote on the ban but made sure to be there to override Cooper’s veto.
- Rep. John Bradford (R-Mecklenburg) said he had “no intentions…of going back to Raleigh and trying to make the [law] more restrictive,” but that was all a lie. He voted for the 12-week ban and to override the governor’s veto.
- Rep. Tricia Cotham (R-Mecklenburg) campaigned as a pro-choice Democrat last year and co-sponsored a bill earlier this year to codify Roe v. Wade as the law in North Carolina. She switched to the Republican Party last month and voted for the 12-week ban and then voted to override the veto. She refused to answer questions when a reporter asked her to explain her override vote.
In voting for this extreme abortion ban that will inevitably lead to women and girls being forced to carry a pregnancy and give birth against their will, these four Republicans ignored the pleadings of health care providers and business leaders around the state who warned that the ban was bad for North Carolina.
Just one of these Republicans needed to decide against voting to override the governor’s veto but instead chose to lie to their constituents and help pass a bill that will impose often insurmountable barriers on abortions. In doing so, they voted in lock-step with far-right Republicans in the North Carolina General Assembly in an effort to decimate reproductive freedom in our state.
