North Carolina Governor to Sign Pro-Life Bill Stopping Abortions

State   |   Steven Ertelt   |   Jul 26, 2013   |   10:25AM   |   Charlotte, NC

Late Thursday night, the North Carolina state Senate passed a pro-life omnibus bill that would stop abortions by helping pregnant women and stopping taxpayer financed abortions.

Today, Governor Pat McCrory has signed the bill into law.

The State Senate concurred by a vote of 32-13 with the State House, on SB 353, Health and Safety Law Changes. The State House worked with the Governor and his Department of Health and Human Services to reach an agreement for a compromise bill that accomplished pro-life goals in a way the governor would sign into law.

SB 353 addresses concerns about the administration of abortion inducing drugs and rules for abortion facilities, North Carolina Right to Life informs LifeNews. The pro-life provisions that were left intact after the compromise are: the opt out for abortion in the federal exchange and the city and county employee health plans, as well as the sex selection and web cam abortion bans.

“Thousands of unborn children’s lives will be protected from abortion,” stated Barbara Holt, President of North Carolina Right to Life, “by preventing the expansion of tax payer funded abortion through the federal exchange. By passing this legislation, our state has also demonstrated that it will not tolerate unborn babies being aborted just because they are the wrong sex or doctors being miles away from the patient when they administer drugs that kill the unborn baby and can harm the child’s mother.”

Governor Pat McCrory stated in a press conference prior to the State House passing SB 353 that he would sign the bill when it comes to his desk.

“North Carolina and the citizens of this state are pleased that Governor McCrory has said he will sign the bill into law; we look forward to the new law protecting unborn babies and their mothers,” said Holt.

The measure would prohibit sex selection abortions which 76% of North Carolinians support (Civitas March 2013 poll) and 85% of Americans support (Polling Company April 2013 poll). Some six states have already banned sex-selection abortions.

The bill includes an opt-out of abortion in the federal exchange and the city and county employee health plan except for the life of the mother and in cases of rape and incest. An April 2011 CNN poll found 61% oppose public funding for abortion, consistent with other poll done by other groups and 22 other states have stopped abortion funding under the Obamacare exchange.

The measure would require abortionists to be physically present to prevent web cam abortions and the misuse of abortion inducing drugs.

North Carolina joins Virginia, South Carolina, and Tennessee, as well as 19 other states, by opting out of abortion in the federal exchange; 14 states , by banning “web cam” abortions; and 6 states, by prohibiting sex selection abortions.

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An abortion clinic in the state was shut down this month for posing problems for women’s health. Last month, North Carolina officials allowed a southeast Charlotte abortion clinic to reopen, but vow they will closely monitor operations at A Preferred Woman’s Health Center. The abortion clinic was shut down in early May, the second time the clinic has lost its license.

The first occasion was in February 2007, when, as the Charlotte Observer reported, “state investigators found as many as 16 safety and regulatory issues at the clinic, according to a letter DHHS sent the clinic.”

More recently, investigators found that staffers were administering methotrexate (an abortifacient) in liquid form. The regimen requires that methotrexate be injected or taken in pill form.