A bill Republicans introduced in the North Carolina House last year is attracting renewed attention amid GOP promises to revisit further abortion restrictions for the state in 2023. The bill in question would define the start to human life as the “moment of fertilization” and deem abortion first-degree murder. Sponsored by Republican state Reps. Larry Pittman and Mark Brody, the legislation even goes so far as to deem murdering the pregnant person to prevent abortion an act of self-defense. “Any person has the right to defend his or her own life or the life of another person, even by the use of deadly force if necessary, from willful destruction by another person,” legislators wrote in the bill. “The State has an interest and a duty to defend innocent persons from willful destruction of their lives and to punish those who take the lives of persons, born or unborn, who have not committed any crime punishable by death.”
Now, it’s worth noting that no action was taken on the bill, but activists and attorneys alike are still encouraging North Carolinians to vote this election season because the bill’s mere existence is simply terrifying and, in many ways, a sign of what may be to come.
RELATED STORY: More than half of states 'back down' from abortion rights fight. These have not
Aylett Colston, a North Carolina attorney and fair elections advocate, shared a thread on Twitter Tuesday to clear up a few misconceptions about the bill and the state in general. “While the bill that would punish abortion by death penalty is kaput [it's not going anywhere], that doesn't mean that right to bodily autonomy is safe in North Carolina,” Colston tweeted. “There's an NC law banning abortions after 20 weeks that was previously struck by courts & some lawmakers are trying to get it reinstated [I don't know the likely outcome].”
She explained that the state legislature, the North Carolina General Assembly (NCGA), writes and passes legislation. The governor can veto laws, but the General Assembly can overturn the veto with a vote of three-fifths present and voting in each chamber. “Republicans currently have a majority of the seats in the NCGA [state legislature], but don't have three-fifths of each chamber, so they don't have the votes to override a veto now,” Colston tweeted. “But NC state legislative elections are this year.”
House Speaker Tim Moore has said legislation restricting abortions will be "a top priority" if the GOP wins a veto-proof majority of seats in November.
”North Carolinians can rest assured that we are taking the necessary steps to ensure that current restrictions on the books will be enforced,” Moore told WRAL in June. “North Carolinians can also expect pro-life protections to be a top priority of the legislature when we return to our normal legislative session in January."
Democratic North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper signed an executive order on July 6 to protect those seeking abortion services in the state from being extradited and prevent state agencies from helping other states prosecute those seeking abortions except when required by court order.
But that should bring little comfort. “Since the NCGOP took over the NCGA in 2010, we've seen they can be fast and sneaky when they want to be,” Colston tweeted. “Like when they put anti-abortion provisions into a motorcycle-safety bill in the middle of the night in 2013.”
That’s when Republican Gov. Pat McCrory threatened to veto the state Senate's anti-abortion legislation "unless significant changes and clarifications are made," so the House and Senate did so and rushed the changes through in motorcycle safety legislation, Daily Kos earlier reported.
RELATED STORY: North Carolina House sneaks revised anti-abortion language onto motorcycle safety bill
"So while there is NOT a law on the books in NC that punishes people who have abortions with the death penalty, North Carolinians' bodily autonomy is still at risk over the next few months," Colston tweeted. "If Republicans win three-fifths of each chamber of the NC General Assembly in November [which is possible], then NC could see abortion outlawed or severely restricted by the end of the year."
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Now, it’s worth noting that no action was taken on the bill, but activists and attorneys alike are still encouraging North Carolinians to vote this election season because the bill’s mere existence is simply terrifying and, in many ways, a sign of what may be to come.
RELATED STORY: More than half of states 'back down' from abortion rights fight. These have not
Aylett Colston, a North Carolina attorney and fair elections advocate, shared a thread on Twitter Tuesday to clear up a few misconceptions about the bill and the state in general. “While the bill that would punish abortion by death penalty is kaput [it's not going anywhere], that doesn't mean that right to bodily autonomy is safe in North Carolina,” Colston tweeted. “There's an NC law banning abortions after 20 weeks that was previously struck by courts & some lawmakers are trying to get it reinstated [I don't know the likely outcome].”
She explained that the state legislature, the North Carolina General Assembly (NCGA), writes and passes legislation. The governor can veto laws, but the General Assembly can overturn the veto with a vote of three-fifths present and voting in each chamber. “Republicans currently have a majority of the seats in the NCGA [state legislature], but don't have three-fifths of each chamber, so they don't have the votes to override a veto now,” Colston tweeted. “But NC state legislative elections are this year.”
House Speaker Tim Moore has said legislation restricting abortions will be "a top priority" if the GOP wins a veto-proof majority of seats in November.
”North Carolinians can rest assured that we are taking the necessary steps to ensure that current restrictions on the books will be enforced,” Moore told WRAL in June. “North Carolinians can also expect pro-life protections to be a top priority of the legislature when we return to our normal legislative session in January."
Democratic North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper signed an executive order on July 6 to protect those seeking abortion services in the state from being extradited and prevent state agencies from helping other states prosecute those seeking abortions except when required by court order.
But that should bring little comfort. “Since the NCGOP took over the NCGA in 2010, we've seen they can be fast and sneaky when they want to be,” Colston tweeted. “Like when they put anti-abortion provisions into a motorcycle-safety bill in the middle of the night in 2013.”
That’s when Republican Gov. Pat McCrory threatened to veto the state Senate's anti-abortion legislation "unless significant changes and clarifications are made," so the House and Senate did so and rushed the changes through in motorcycle safety legislation, Daily Kos earlier reported.
RELATED STORY: North Carolina House sneaks revised anti-abortion language onto motorcycle safety bill
"So while there is NOT a law on the books in NC that punishes people who have abortions with the death penalty, North Carolinians' bodily autonomy is still at risk over the next few months," Colston tweeted. "If Republicans win three-fifths of each chamber of the NC General Assembly in November [which is possible], then NC could see abortion outlawed or severely restricted by the end of the year."
Contribute to build North Carolina’s progressive infrastructure in 2022 and beyond
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