Democratic state lawmakers in Buncombe County have joined together with other local lawmakers throughout North Carolina in support of abortion access.
The state Democratic Caucus has introduced a bill that would “in essence” protect abortion access by codifying Roe v. Wade into state law. The proposed legislation is seen as an effort to move on the issue of abortion before Republicans move to further restrict abortion access.
“The Democrats are playing the only card they have,” says Chris Cooper, professor of political science at Western Carolina University. “Perhaps they’ll put enough pressure on their Republican colleagues that they won’t win out.”
Last week, both the Republican Speaker of the House and Senate Majority leader confirmed their intent to pass legislation further limiting abortion access in North Carolina. Currently, and in line with Roe v. Wade, the procedure is legal and available during the first 20 weeks of pregnancy. Any new proposed legislation from Republicans is expected to further limit access to the first 12 to 13 weeks of pregnancy.
Democrats, like local state senator Julie Mayfield, strongly oppose any further restrictions.
“People in North Carolina don’t want government in this decision,” Sen. Mayfield said. "[They] don’t want government in this decision, don’t want government limiting their ability to make healthcare decisions for themselves or for their families."
Since the reversal of Roe in the Dobbs v. Jackson Supreme Court case, a number of North Carolina’s neighboring states have moved to limit or outlaw abortion. Coinciding with the restrictions had been an increase in the number of out-of-state abortion cases serviced in North Carolina. According to Planned Parenthood of North Carolina, out-of-state abortions now make up the bulk of abortions now sought in North Carolina.
For pro-life organizations, like Asheville's Mountain Area Pregnancy Services, any effort to make abortions less easily accessible is a move in the right direction:
We believe that life begins at conception and should be protected under law at every stage from conception to death," a spokesperson for the organization said. "At the same time, we recognize that a woman facing an unplanned pregnancy needs a safety-net of care to support her as much as possible so that she is able to choose life for her baby. We strongly support legislation providing funds for this essential care and support for mothers and children so that abortion is no longer a desired option in our state.
Republicans in Raleigh now hold a majority of seats and are only one vote away from having a super-majority, which would allow them to overturn a governor’s veto. Governor Roy Cooper is expected to veto any legislation further restricting access to an abortion. However, with the republican’s numbers in the legislature, the possibility of overturning a veto is real.
For Democrats, who are far from a majority, the likelihood of passing legislation protecting abortion access is considered nearly impossible. Their best hope, according to Chris Cooper, would be to keep enough Republicans or Democrats from supporting a Republican led effort to keep further restrictions from becoming law.