A 12-week abortion ban was enacted by North Carolina lawmakers on Thursday. The bill was then sent to Democratic Governor Roy Cooper, who has threatened to veto it.
New rules that outlaw the majority of abortions after 12 weeks were approved by the GOP-controlled state legislature. The law would permit exceptions for foetal life-limiting defects through 24 weeks and offers provisions for rape and incest through 20 weeks.
The bill also provides for an exception in order to preserve the mother’s life.
Supporters of the bill have praised it as “commonsense legislation,” while detractors claim that the 12-week restriction is just the beginning of the Republicans’ efforts to restrict access to abortion.
In a video statement posted to Twitter, Cooper said that he will “veto this awful bill,” saying that it has clauses that will make it more challenging for any woman to seek an abortion, like the necessity for three in-person medical appointments before proceeding with an abortion.
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“They say this is a reasonable, 12-week ban. It’s not,” he said. “The fine-print requirements and restrictions will shut down clinics and make abortion completely unavailable to many women at any time, causing desperation and death.”
According to him, women are struggling to access abortion treatment because of the new limitations and specifications.
“New, burdensome and unnecessary requirements will cause many clinics to shut their doors,” he added. “This bill has nothing to do with making women safer and everything to do with banning abortion.”
After a House Democrat joined the GOP last month, Republicans now control both chambers of the state legislature with a veto-proof supermajority.
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