NORTH CAROLINA REPUBLICAN LAWMAKERS OVERRIDE VETO FOR TWELVE-WEEK ABORTION BAN
Today, Republican lawmakers overrode Governor Cooper’s veto of Senate Bill 20, a sweeping bill that bans abortion after 12 weeks of pregnancy and imposes onerous restrictions that will severely limit abortion access in North Carolina.
A Woman’s Choice leadership, physicians, and frontline staff are frustrated and angry with the Republican legislators that promised to oppose new abortion bans in North Carolina yet voted for SB 20 and to override Governor Cooper’s veto. This is an absolute betrayal to their constituents. It is unconscionable.
“In North Carolina, state-imposed restrictions already push abortion out of reach by delaying access to care. The 12-week ban makes it that much harder for patients to reach us in time and for our clinical staff to provide care based on science. This monster abortion ban is not about the health and safety of our patients because it can never account for the full range of experiences that patients may have throughout pregnancy. Instead, this ban will cause chaos and confusion, and ultimately denies access to essential health care,” says Kelly Flynn, President and CEO of A Woman’s Choice clinics.
Abortion bans harm everyone. This 12-week abortion ban will have dangerous, harmful ripple effects on healthcare systems throughout North Carolina and the Southeast. Those who are past North Carolina’s abortion ban limit will be forced to either travel outside the region for care or else carry a pregnancy against their will. This is cruel and unacceptable.
A Woman’s Choice clinics believe that everyone should be able to make decisions about their own reproductive lives and futures, especially regarding abortion, miscarriage management, or pregnancy care. We trust our patients—they know what is best for them and their families. Politicians have no business in these deeply personal decisions.
This 12-week ban does not go into immediate effect. Abortion is legal up to 20 weeks of pregnancy in North Carolina until July 1, 2023.
We want to assure our communities: abortion is still legal and available at our clinics in Charlotte, Greensboro, and Raleigh for both medication and procedural abortion care.
You can call 800-298-8874 to schedule an appointment or request an appointment online.
We need our community to show up locally—volunteer to be a legal monitor, reach out about supporting our staff and clinic escorts, and donate to our clinic or an abortion fund to support someone accessing abortion care.
Here are ways you can support:
Donate to our clinic today (please know that this is not a tax-deductible donation).
Volunteer to be a legal monitor.
Donate to local abortion funds like Carolina Abortion Fund.