 |
|---|
| Home |
| Magazine |
| Interviews |
| Policy Papers |
| Donate |
| Story |
|
Victory for Life in NC House Following a lengthy debate, the House passed HB 854—Abortion-Woman’s Right to Know by a vote of 71 to 48, just one vote shy of the three-fifths supermajority needed to override a gubernatorial veto. The long-awaited bill, which was sponsored by Representatives Ruth Samuelson (R-Mecklenburg) and Pat McElraft (R-Carteret), insures that women considering abortion are provided with complete and accurate information about the abortion procedure and about their unborn child, with time to reflect on this information. The House action puts North Carolina on the path to becoming the 35th state to pass some form of informed consent legislation, if the Senate also approves the measure. Later in the day, the House gave final approval to HB 289—Authorize Various Specialty Plates, a bill sponsored by Representative Mitch Gillespie (R-McDowell) that includes the “Choose Life” specialty license plate as one of several new plates authorized under the bill. The purchase of the “Choose Life” license plate would direct a portion of the proceeds to the Carolina Pregnancy Care Fellowship, a nonprofit group that distributes funds to the state’s Pregnancy Resource Centers. Rep. Gillespie worked for many years to see this bill move forward. During the debate process in the House, multiple attempts to amend the bill failed, including attempts to remove the “Choose Life” plate, and to add a pro-abortion plate, which would raise funds for Planned Parenthood. Ultimately, the House voted to approve HB 289 by a vote of 70-46, sending it to the Senate for consideration. If the Senate also approves the bill, North Carolina would become the 25th state in the nation to allow pro-life motorists to purchase a “Choose Life” plate. The House rejected an amendment that would have added a plate for Planned Parenthood that would have read “Respect Choice.” “Yesterday’s votes in the House on HB 854 and HB 289 represent a significant victory for women facing unplanned pregnancies and for their unborn children,” said Bill Brooks, president of the North Carolina Family Policy Council. “We thank the House leadership for allowing these measures to be debated and to finally receive the up or down vote they deserve, and we applaud the sponsors of both measures for their tireless efforts over the past many years to ensure that these bills received a fair hearing.” Related resources: Copyright © 2012. North Carolina Family Policy Council. All rights reserved.
|
