Abortion care remains safe and legal as NC Republicans struggle to come to an agreement on restrictions
The future of abortion rights in North Carolina is currently in limbo, as state Republicans continue to discuss the direction of abortion restrictions.
For months, state Republicans have been working behind closed doors to determine just how much to restrict abortion here, with Republican leaders alluding to a potential “heartbeat bill,” among the possible restrictions. Thankfully, Republicans can’t come to an agreement on anything and have been pushing back the introduction of legislation week after week.
Lt. Gov. Mark Robinson, who Republicans chose as the de facto leader of the state party when they named him the man to respond to Gov. Roy Cooper’s “State of the State Address” next week, said recently on a radio show that he would ban abortion immediately if he could.
“You know, if I had all the power right now – let’s say I was the governor [and] I had a willing legislature, we could pass a bill say[ing] you can’t have an abortion in North Carolina for any reason,” Robinson said on the “Taking Care of Iredell with Rep. Jeff McNeely” show. He also told McNeely he would “love to see a heartbeat bill” in the legislature, to which McNeely replied that Republicans are “working on it.”
In late January, North Carolina Democrats in both the House and Senate introduced bills that would codify the abortion protections of Roe v. Wade into state law. The legislation would stop the state from creating any barriers that could restrict a patient’s ability to access the crucial reproductive health care option. Every Democrat in the legislature signed on in support of the measure.
Regardless of what bill Republicans eventually come to an agreement on, a recent poll underscores the ever-present disconnect between the GOP and North Carolinians’ interests. A poll from Meredith College found that most North Carolinians – nearly 60% – support keeping the current abortion laws on the books or even expanding them. North Carolinians know that people, not politicians, should be making decisions on what’s best for their lives.
For now, North Carolina remains the last safeguard for abortion access to millions of Americans across the southeast. However, state Republicans’ decisions in the coming days to a week may jeopardize the vital reproductive healthcare option for North Carolinians and out–of–state patients.
