A day after gaining approval in the House, a proposed ban on abortions after 12 weeks of pregnancy passed the Senate on Thursday along party lines. That’s enough votes to override a veto.
Republican senators called the measure a compromise since it falls short of the full ban enacted in other states, although Democrats weren’t involved in negotiations.
Senator Amy Galey of Alamance County helped write the bill.
“North Carolina has the opportunity to be a leader in this country for finding a way out of the acrimony and the extremism that has tended to dominate our discussion of this issue,” she said. “They’ve paired the restrictions with paid parental leave for state employees and other measures.”
That didn’t win support from Democrats like Senator Gladys Robinson.
“We're glad you decided to add them, but let me be clear, personal freedoms and rights should not be up for negotiation,” she said.
Meanwhile, the leading Republican candidate for North Carolina governor, Mark Robinson, was asked for his position on the proposed 12-week abortion ban.
Robinson has previously called for a total ban with no exceptions, but said today abortion was no longer a primary focus for him, and that any additional restrictions would be up to lawmakers.
“I’m not interested in talking about abortion anymore. What I’m interested in talking about now is how we’re going to make life better for folks after they’re born. Saving lives in the womb, and enhancing those lives once they come into the world," he said, "I’m tired about talking about abortion. I don’t want to talk about it anymore.”
Governor Roy Cooper has said he'll veto the bill, but Republicans have the votes to override him.
