NC governor signs executive order protecting abortion access

North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper signed an executive order shielding out-of-state abortion patients from extradition and prohibiting state agencies under his control from assisting other states’ prosecutions of abortion patients who travel for the procedure. Cooper joined a growing number of Democratic governors seeking to offer sanctuary in the wake of the U.S. Supreme Court decision overturning abortion protections. In announcing the executive order, Cooper said he would use his authority over extradition warrants to shield abortion providers and their patients from states with more restrictive policies that could seek to punish residents who cross state lines for the procedure.