The Republican-led North Carolina legislature voted Tuesday to override Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper’s veto on pro-life legislation.
After Cooper vetoed Senate Bill 20 Sunday, both chambers of the legislature took action to immediately override it, according to the legislature’s website. The House voted 72-48 and the Senate voted 30-20, both along party lines. (RELATED: North Carolina Democratic Governor Vetoes Pro-Life Bill)
“Strong majorities of North Carolinians don’t want right-wing politicians in the exam room with women and their doctors, which is even more understandable today after several Republican lawmakers broke their promises to protect women’s reproductive freedom,” Cooper said in a statement.
Gov. Cooper Statement on Republican vote to override SB20 veto: pic.twitter.com/Kh06weg4zQ
— Governor Roy Cooper (@NC_Governor) May 17, 2023
The Care for Women, Children, and Families Act will restrict abortions to 12 weeks, according to the bill’s text. It also includes exceptions for rape and incest at 20 weeks, as well as 24 weeks for a fetal “life-limiting anomaly.”
North Carolina will continue to limit abortions up to 20 weeks until the legislation goes into effect July 1, according to the legislation. The 20 week restriction went into effect after Roe v. Wade was overturned last year, according to the state Attorney General’s website.
Cooper previously called out four state Republican lawmakers that he believes supported abortion rights on the campaign trail in a statement Saturday. One of these lawmakers included Republican Rep. Tricia Cotham of Mecklenburg, who left the Democratic Party and joined the GOP back in April.
Cotham said in a statement she believes that the bill “strikes reasonable balance on the abortion issue” and that it represents a “middle ground,” according to a local NBC outlet.
“Some call me a hypocrite since I voted for this bill. They presume to know my story. As I said at the time, I had an ectopic pregnancy that sadly ended in miscarriage, not an elective abortion. In fact, Senate Bill 20 affirms the life-saving care I received in that dire situation. It was very important to me that this legislation protects all women going through a miscarriage or other complications – and it most certainly does,” she continued.
