In a last minute desperation of at least one Republican senator to support his expected veto of a bill that would outlaw most abortions after 12 weeks of pregnancy, North Carolina Governor Roy Cooper has launched a campaign across the state.
During his tour, the governor will stop by the districts of four Republican state legislators, encouraging their constituents to continue to support abortion rights—these lawmakers, Reps. Tricia Cotham and John Bradford of Mecklenburg County, and Rep. Ted Davis and Sen. Michael Lee of New Hanover County expressed reluctance about further abortion restrictions during their election campaigns last year.
NC Governor Cooper Campaigns Against Proposed Abortion Ban
According to the article in the Associated Press News, the campaign was launched in retaliation to Republicans' last-week fast-tracking of legislation to impose more stringent abortion restrictions than the current 20-week maximum. The bill's veto will be announced by Governor Cooper on Saturday at a rally in Raleigh. However, it is expected that his veto will be overridden thanks to party-line votes for ratification and promises from legislative leaders.
The governor appealed to voters at a gathering in the Davis and Lee-hometown Cape Fear region with medical professionals. He exclaimed that all they need is one person in good conscience, in which he is pushing at least one lawmaker to defy party leadership and vote against the measure.
Both sides of the political divide are reacting differently to this new action. Following recent Republican seat gains in the state, longtime Democratic political consultant Gary Pearce described the governor's frenetic visit as an indication of "desperation." On the other hand, some conservative detractors, like Caitlin Connors, southern regional director for Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life America, see his travels as an attempt to "bully lawmakers."
One of the Republican lawmakers singled out by the governor, Sen. Michael Lee, has defended his views on abortion. According to the shared article in The Washington Post, the Wilmington-area Republican previously stated support for a woman's right to choose in the first trimester during a candidate forum last fall. On Wednesday, Lee said that while he opposes banning the procedure before 12 weeks, he thinks most abortions later in pregnancy are "abhorrent and should be restricted."
The governor's strategies were also slammed by Lee, who tweeted, "I will not let the governor lie to the people of my district and this state and try to bully me out of legislation I campaigned on supporting."
Also Read:Oregon Legislature Progresses Abortion Rights, Transgender Healthcare Bill
North Carolina Constituents Demand Accountability Amid Abortion Rights Dispute
Some people are requesting accountability from their lawmakers in the continuing North Carolina abortion rights battle. According to another source, the article in Houston Chronicle said that Senator Michael Lee and Representative Ted Davis have come under fire from Wilmington nurse and medic Marla Barthen for what she sees as a breach of their campaign commitments.
Senator Lee's 12-week prohibition proposal was challenged by Barthen, who said that the added restrictions amounted to overreach. Additionally, she charged Davis with misleading voters by alleging that he had made promises to make no changes, which had caused misunderstandings and deception in their community, particularly among women.
Related Article:Greensboro Demonstrators Rally Against Proposed Alterations to North Carolina Abortion Laws
