Last week, North Carolina Republicans filed their latest abortion restriction through House Bill 533. The bill has been described as “disturbing legislation” designed “to control women’s bodies” by U.S. Rep. Kathy Manning and advocates.
“The proposed North Carolina abortion ban, introduced by [three] male Republican politicians, would jeopardize the health of millions of North Carolinians, strip women and girls of their freedoms, and place politicians in the middle of medical decisions they are not qualified to make,” U.S. Rep. Manning said in a statement. “Moreover, this bill criminalizes women and the doctors who provide them care, thereby discouraging them from providing women the care they need.”
Like other advocates and reproductive justice organizations across the country, groups such as the ACLU have braced for attacks on abortion in North Carolina following the overturn of Roe v. Wade, with House Bill 533 being the latest.
“This is the kind of attack on abortion we have feared and prepared for in North Carolina,” Liz Barber, Senior Policy Counsel for the ACLU, said in a statement. “A ban on abortion like the one put forth in this bill would put the rights, health, and well-being of millions of North Carolinians at risk. Like all anti-abortion legislation, this bill threatens our right to control our own bodies, our economic security, and the visions we have for our futures.”
Several state Republican leaders have alluded to pushing egregious abortion restrictions post-overturn, expressing support for the controversial “heartbeat bill” and a 13-week abortion ban. At this time, it is unclear what sort of proposal will advance in the General Assembly.
Lt. Governor Mark Robinson has also stated that he would outright ban abortion if he was governor, despite Robinson admitting to paying for an abortion more than three decades ago for his wife, just last year.
Statewide, doctors, medical professionals, medical students, and advocates have countered the erasure of reproductive health care access, demanding abortion protections for millions of North Carolinians and out-of-state patients who may seek the vital service.
“As a physician, my number one priority is the health and well-being of my patients,” Dr. Amy Bryant, an obstetrician and gynecologist who practices in Orange County, said in a statement.
“We know from years of research and use that medication abortion is safe and effective – there’s no medical reason for politicians to interfere or restrict access to it, or for states to force doctors to comply with mandates not supported by medicine or science. These burdensome restrictions on medication abortion force physicians to deal with unnecessary restrictions on patient care and on the healthcare system.”
Last month, state Democrats filed legislation to eliminate various abortion restrictions, including the state’s 72-hour waiting period. The bill would also codify the protections of Roe v. Wade into state law.
“These barriers serve absolutely no medical purpose and instead just interfere in the person’s decision about when, if, and how to start a family,” stated Rep. Julie von Haefen.
