(StraightNews.org) — Lawmakers in North Carolina passed a bill to prohibit abortion after 12 weeks gestation. Governor Roy Cooper, however, called the legislation “awful.” The bill contains exceptions in cases of rape or incest up to 20 weeks and if the life of the mother is under threat, yet Governor Cooper said this inaccurately portrays the law as reasonable when he insists it is not.
Cooper said the reality of the proposals is contained within the “fine print,” which he said will result in clinic closures and make abortion unavailable to women at any time. “New, burdensome and unnecessary requirements will cause many clinics to shut their doors,” he said. He added the true intention of the legislation was not to help women or make them safer but to take a step toward banning abortion outright.
While Cooper is likely to veto the new bill, Republicans enjoy a supermajority, meaning they can overturn the Governor’s veto. The GOP gained the supermajority in April when State Rep. Tricia Cotham crossed the floor, leaving the Democrats and joining the Republicans.
Cotham’s move came as a surprise to many. The former Democrat said the party had become one of censorship and bullying and did not allow for internal dissent or debate. She said any deviation or departure from left-wing orthodoxy led to exclusion and attack. The Rep. even suggested that her family had been targeted for abuse because of her views, but she did not provide specific details.
The new Republican insisted that her outlook and opinions have not changed. She has opposed abortion restrictions in the past.
Cotham, who represents suburban areas of Mecklenburg County, ignored calls for her resignation. Democrats said she had stood as a Democrat and betrayed North Carolina’s electorate by effectively turning it into a red state.
Republicans celebrated her decision and said that, unlike the Democrats, the Republican party welcomes people of various viewpoints and encourages robust and open debate.
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