North Carolina Governor Roy Cooper Vetoes Bill to Protect Babies From Abortions

North Carolina Governor Roy Cooper has vetoed a common sense bill that would protect babies from abortions starting at 12 weeks — well after they have a beating hearts and other organs in place.

Cooper is desperately making the case why abortion is a good thing for the Tar Heel State as he hopes to somehow convince one or more legislator not to override his veto of a common sense bill that would ban abortions after 12 weeks.

But the battle now turns to the state legislature, where Republicans apparently have enough votes to override Cooper’s veto. But the vote will be close as both chambers have just a 1-2 vote margin of error and Cooper has been aggressively lobbying moderate Republican lawmakers to peel off and support his veto.

NC Values Coalition Executive Director Tami Fitzgerald told LifeNews.com she was ashamed of Cooper for vetoing SB20, which would prevent discriminatory and brutal partial birth abortions, and would give women financial support to help them choose life.

“Governor Cooper chose Mother’s Day weekend to veto legislation and rally against everything that encompasses motherhood—birth, growing biological and adoptive families, and care for babies. His actions would crush provisions to give women more opportunities to choose life, improve safety standards of clinics, and stop the barbaric painful practice of partial birth abortion,” she said.

“Governor Cooper’s bullish tactics of traveling to districts to pressure Republicans in sustaining his veto are a fool’s errand. We stand by Republicans and encourage them to stay strong against bullying and intimidation by a Governor who doesn’t value life, motherhood, or women in crisis,” Fitzgerald added.

ACTION ALERT: Contact Tricia Cotham at 919-733-5749 or Tricia.Cotham@ncleg.gov and John Bradford at 919-733-5828 or John.Bradford@ncleg.gov and urge them to vote to override Cooper’s veto on the 12-week abortion ban.

Caitlin Connors, southern regional director for SBA Pro-Life America, also condemned Cooper’s veto in comments to LifeNews.

“Today, Gov. Cooper sided with the abortion industry over the people. During his tour targeting legislators to uphold his veto, the Governor made it abundantly clear who he was representing by holding a panel with the chief medical officer of Planned Parenthood and the owner of another abortion facility. It’s alarming that on Mother’s Day weekend the leader of the purple state of North Carolina is using his political power to serve the financial interests of abortion executives, rather than to represent the consensus on late term abortions, establish paid parental leave for teachers and establish a game-changing amount of funding for childcare,” she said.

Connors added: “We thank legislators for standing with 62% of North Carolinians against Gov. Cooper’s Planned Parenthood-driven agenda to deny the protection of life for babies at the point when they resemble mom or dad, their heart has beat more than 10 million times and they respond to touch.”

latest argument is one that is sure to turn off many voters: Killing babies is good for the economy.

Here’s more:

Among his concerns about Senate Bill 20, Gov. Roy Cooper believes the legislation’s restrictions on abortion — limits he calls “dangerous” — will carry an economic fallout as companies deciding whether to locate in the state consider the needs of their workforce.

“Companies care about their workforce,” Cooper said Thursday, noting he feels certain the new restrictions within Senate Bill 20 will negatively affect the state’s economic development because of the many “obstacles” it creates for patients and providers.

The argument is absurd on its face.

First, killing babies is horrible for the economy because it would deny the state future residents who will be productive workers and employees, perhaps starting businesses and, in a myriad of ways contributing to the economy.

Secondly, in states that have banned abortions there has been no loss of business. Of the five states with the highest economic growth in 2023, 4 of them have abortion bans in place. Idaho, the state with the highest economic growth this year, bans abortions as does Tennessee and Florida – the states with the 2^nd and 3^rd highest economic growth. Texas, the 5^th highest economic growth state, also protects babies from abortion.

Fortunately, Cooper’s campaign hasn’t yet caused any legislator to change their mind. One lawmaker reconfirmed his commitment to the 12-week ban override.

Rep. Jon Hardister, R-Guilford, says he will vote to override Cooper’s veto.

“This is a deeply personal topic and I respect opinions on both sides of the discussion. That said, the legislation under consideration is not extreme. It is a reasonable approach to protecting life while providing exceptions for rape, incest and the health of the mother.”

Currently, pro-life lawmakers appear to have enough votes in both chambers to override the veto and approve the sensible pro-life measure that would help women and protect thousands of babies every year.

Cooper is traveling the state desperately hoping to convince one Republican lawmaker in either the House or Senate to vote against the override. He needs at least one legislator to vote for killing babies in abortions to defeat the override. He is currently lobbying Tricia Cotham and John Bradford to change their votes and oppose the override attempt.

The modest bill bans abortions after 12 weeks and include numerous provisions to provide support for pregnant women as well as making sure they can receive emergency health care. The Senate voted 29-20 to approve the Care for Women, Children, and Families Act a day after the House also passed it on a veto-proof margin.

ACTION ALERT: Contact members of the North Carolina House and Senate to urge them to override Governor Cooper’s veto of the 12-week ban.

“It will effectively ban access to reproductive freedom earlier and sometimes altogether for many women because of new restrictions and requirements,” Cooper posted to Twitter. “This is why Republicans are ramming it through with no chance to amend. I will veto this extreme ban and need everyone’s help to hold it.”

The bill doesn’t ban access to reproductive freedom — because when an abortion occurs reproduction has already taken place and the freedom has been exercised. And the bill has numerous amendments and changes that lawmakers agreed to in order to make it more palatable for legislators who didn’t want to pass a bill protecting babies from conception or starting at 6 weeks when their heartbeat begins.

The override partially depends on Rep. Tricia Cotham, a former Democrat who supported abortion but moderated her views after she recently became a Republican. Cotham voted for the 12 week bill to protect babies and help women.

Other lawmakers Cooper hopes to pick off include Rep. Ted Davis, R-New Hanover, Rep. John Bradford, R-Mecklenburg, and Sen. Michael Lee, R-New Hanover.

North Carolina law currently bans nearly all abortions after 20 weeks, so the new legislation would provide further protecting for babies from abortions. The new measure would provide limited exceptions for cases of rape, incest or fetal abnormality and currently law already provides a life of the mother exception.

The new bill is expected to save thousands of babies from abortions every year who otherwise would have been killed.

Based on the most recent CDC data, protecting unborn children at 12 weeks could potentially save 3,000 babies from abortions every year, not including reducing abortion tourism from other states that have legal protections for unborn children.

Medical experts testified in support of the bill, including Dr. Susan Bane, FACOG, a board-certified Greenville OB-GYN with more than 20 years in practice; Dr. Marty McCaffrey, a professor of pediatrics and a Charlotte Lozier Institute associate scholar; and Dr. Jeffrey Wright, FACOG.

Provisions of the Care for Women, Children and Families Act include:

• No mail-order abortion pills – maintains current law requiring abortion pills to be administered in person by a doctor, strengthens informed consent on the danger of abortion pills, requires an in-person examination, prohibits advertising illegal sales of abortion pills.
• Protects abortion survivors – babies born alive in failed abortions are entitled to the same legal protections and standard of medical care as any other baby of the same gestational age.
• Combats discrimination – protects unborn children from discrimination based on sex, race or Down syndrome.
• Protects women’s health, safety and informed consent:
  • Requires the same health and safety standards for abortion facilities as for other ambulatory surgical centers.
  • Ensures that women are not rushed or coerced into unwanted abortions.
  • Safeguards the life of the mother in the event of a medical emergency.
  • Specifically makes clear that treatment for ectopic pregnancy or miscarriage does not constitute abortion.
• Limits elective and late-term abortions – exceptions include rape and incest up to five months and life-limiting fetal anomalies up to six months, with the requirement that palliative care consultation be offered.

The bill provides $160 million in support for children, families and maternal health, including:

• $75 million to expand access to child care.
• Nearly $59 million (not including federal matching funds) for foster care, kinship care and children’s homes.
• $20 million for maternity and paternity leave for teachers and state employees.
• Over $16 million (including federal matching funds) to reduce infant and maternal mortality.
• $3 million to help mothers and fathers complete community college.

Caitlin Connors, southern regional director for SBA Pro-Life America, praised North Carolina lawmakers for reaching consensus to strengthen protections for women and children. She told LifeNews:

“The Care for Women, Children and Families Act is deeply pro-life and pro-woman and a major step forward for North Carolina. This bill would protect thousands of lives a year from brutal abortions at a point when unborn babies have beating hearts, recognizable faces and unique fingerprints forming, and the capacity to suffer, as well as stopping dangerous mail-order abortion pills and more. It demonstrates the legislature’s serious commitment to giving women and families in North Carolina the support they need to thrive. We thank our allies, particularly our Pro-Life Caucus member Sen. Krawiec, Speaker Moore and Senate Leader Berger, Tami Fitzgerald and all the local advocates who’ve championed this bill and we hope to see it swiftly passed. Governor Cooper and Attorney General Stein oppose the will of the people at their political peril.”

Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life America announced the findings of a new poll revealing that nearly two-thirds (62%) of voters in the state support protecting unborn children at 12 weeks. Results also show that 67% of the state’s voters support North Carolina’s existing parental consent laws.

Nearly two-thirds of North Carolina voters support protecting unborn children by at least 12 weeks, according to a poll by Differentiator Data. Only 22% of voters agree with allowing abortion up until birth, the position held by Gov. Roy Cooper and Attorney General Josh Stein. The poll surveyed 500 registered voters from January 9-12, 2023, and has a margin of error of 4.5%.

• 62% of North Carolinians support legislation to protect unborn babies by at least 12 weeks, with exceptions for rape, incest and life of the mother.
  • 68% of Unaffiliated voters support such legislation.
  • 61% of women want to protect babies by 12 weeks.
• North Carolinians widely support the state’s existing laws requiring parental consent (67%), a 72-hour waiting period (57%) and an ultrasound prior to an abortion (55%).

By 12 weeks’ gestation, all major organs have formed and the heart has beat over 10 million times. At this stage, babies suck their thumbs and already have a right-hand or left-hand preference. Prominent facial features including the nose, cheeks, eyes and ears are recognizable; teeth are developing; and the body responds to touch. For more information on fetal development, see Charlotte Lozier Institute’s “12 Facts at 12 Weeks.”

ACTION ALERT: Contact members of the North Carolina House and Senate to urge them to override Governor Cooper’s veto of the 12-week ban.

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