From the North Carolina Democratic Party:
Today, Republicans have sent a message to North Carolinians that they don’t trust them to make their own health care decisions.
SB20 is dangerous legislation that puts politicians in the middle of deeply personal health care decisions and abandons the medical advice of doctors who urged lawmakers to stop this ban.
It will have devastating impacts on abortion access, putting up medically unnecessary barriers to reproductive care and for many – it may impact their access altogether.
It is shameful to see Republican members John Bradford, Tricia Cotham, Ted Davis, and Michael Lee flip-flop and betray their constituents to toe the party line.
In 2024, North Carolina Democrats will ensure every voter knows where their leaders stand on this issue and will continue to fight to elect candidates that stand up for reproductive freedom in North Carolina.
Despite Republican attempts to disguise this abortion ban as “mainstream,” Senate Bill 20 will dramatically reduce access to abortion and could cause women’s health clinics across the state to shut down. In addition to imposing a general ban on abortions after twelve weeks, this bill will:
Ban medication abortions after 10 weeks; medication abortions account for approximately 60 percent of all abortions in North Carolina;
Require three in-person appointments days apart for anyone seeking a medical abortion, which doctors have called “medically unjustified and unnecessary,” and make care harder to access for anyone who can’t take off work, afford to travel, stay in a hotel or get extra child care;
Significantly increase the number of burdensome attestations for patients to complete prior to receiving reproductive health care;
Implement new regulations and licensing requirements that don’t contribute to patient safety and could cause the closure of clinics providing abortions across the state.
We will remember at the ballot box in 2024 that our NC General Assemblymen - MAGA Republicans Frank Iler, Charles Miller, and Bill Rabon - voted to override Governor Cooper's veto of their monstrous abortion ban.