NC Attorney General Josh Stein Won’t Defend Abortion Pill Restrictions

Source: Associated Press

North Carolina Attorney General Josh Stein has announced that he will not defend state restrictions on dispensing abortion pills that are being challenged in court. 

Stein argues that the state’s restrictions are “preempted by federal regulations protecting access to the pills”, the Associated Press reported. The North Carolina Department of Justice, under Stein’s leadership, is tasked with defending state laws in court. 

The lawsuit in question was brought forward by North Carolina physician Amy Bryant who argues that state laws interfere with the ability to provide abortion pills to patients in need. 

The state requires that the medication must be administered in person, following a 72-hour waiting period, counseling, and often an ultrasound. The state’s law goes far beyond what is required by the United States Food and Drug Administration, the federal agency charged with regulating the drug.

Stein argues that Bryant’s argument on federal preemption is legally correct and wrote a letter to legislative lawyers for House Speaker Tim Moore and Senate Leader Phil Berger announcing his decision to not defend the state’s restrictions.

Stein said North Carolina’s “restriction of women’s use of the prescriptions they need to exercise their reproductive freedoms violates federal law and the Constitution.”

Stein is an ardent supporter of reproductive freedom and said, “As Attorney General, I will do everything in my power to protect women’s right to reproductive care, because it’s the right thing to do. And because it’s necessary to create the kind of North Carolina we all want.”

Stein has recently announced that he will run for governor of North Carolina in 2024.

Share:

More Posts

NC House Democrats Stand United Against SB 153

SB 153 is a right-wing bill that would burden local law enforcement, infringe on the rights of local governments, and further empower ICE to perform unconstitutional raids on North Carolina communities. 

Redadas de ICE en Charlotte y Concord: Intensificación de Arrestos de Inmigrantes en Carolina del Norte

En una reunión celebrada el 21 de mayo en la sede de ICE en Washington, el principal asesor del presidente Trump, Stephen Miller, y la secretaría de Seguridad Nacional, Kristi Noem, instruyeron a los oficiales de inmigración a aumentar los arrestos diarios a 3,000, triplicando la cifra alcanzada en los primeros meses del mandato de Trump. Este objetivo forma parte de un esfuerzo por ejecutar la operación de deportación más grande en la historia de Estados Unidos. 

Trump’s FEMA Denies North Carolina’s Hurricane Helene Aid Request, Again

“FEMA’s denial of our appeal will cost North Carolina taxpayers potentially hundreds of millions of dollars to clean up out west,” Stein explained. “The money we have to pay toward debris removal will mean less money toward supporting our small businesses, rebuilding downtown infrastructure, repairing our water and sewer systems, and other critical needs.”

3 Million People Could Lose SNAP Under GOP Plan, Gov. Stein Warns of NC Fallout

“If Congress goes forward with these plans, our state will be forced into perilous budget decisions – should North Carolinians lose access to food, or should we get rid of other essential services?” Gov. Stein wrote. “I urge our members of Congress to reject this budget proposal so that North Carolina families don’t go hungry.”