NC House overrides Cooper's abortion bill veto, measure becomes law
https://abc11.com/nc-abortion-north-carolina-ban-bill/13254312/
ByDeJuan Hoggard, Jamiese Price, and Josh Chapin WTVD logo
Wednesday, May 17, 2023 12:46AM
RALEIGH, N.C. (WTVD) – Both chambers in the state legislature successfully overrode Gov. Roy Cooper's veto of a bill limiting abortion on Tuesday, enabling the legislation to become law.
The House took up the debate Tuesday evening, hours after the Senate successfully overrode the governor's veto. The vote was 72-48 as GOP members withstood heavy and vocal opposition from critics desperate to uphold Cooper's veto.
The Democratic governor immediately released a statement reacting to the Republican-led effort that resulted in new abortion parameters for the state.
"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. "For the last two weeks, Republican sponsors of this abortion ban have strenuously argued that it is much less restrictive than we warned, so we will now do everything in our power to make sure that's true.
The governor added that abortion-rights advocates are "energized to fight back."
"I will continue doing everything I can to protect abortion access in North Carolina because women's lives depend on it," Cooper said.
U.S. Rep. Wiley Nickel, D-NC-13. echoed Cooper's vow, saying he would "continue to fight for reproductive freedom and work to codify the protections of Roe vs. Wade into law."
Sen. Gladys Robinson, D-NC 28, told ABC11 that "this abortion ban will especially harm people who live in rural areas, people working to make ends meet and people who historically lack access to affordable healthcare."
House Speaker Tim Moore, R-Cleveland said by overriding the veto and enacting the "Care for Women, Children, and Families Act," the House "has affirmed the value of human life."
"I am proud that the House has overridden the Governor's veto of this meaningful, mainstream legislation," Moore said. "Senate Bill 20 will save lives and provide needed support for women and families while putting North Carolina's abortion law in line with most of the rest of the free world."
Earlier Tuesday, the North Carolina Senate overrode the veto of Senate Bill 20, which adds further restrictions to women seeking abortion care in North Carolina.
The final count on the veto override was 30-20 with all Senate Republicans in favor and Democrats voting against override.
The House also voted along party lines. That meant new limitations on women seeking abortions and medical professionals performing those abortions will become law in the state.