NC Family Staff | June 25, 2021 | SHARE: 
Governor Roy Cooper vetoed a bill today that would have protected babies for the abhorent practice of eugenic abortions. HB 453—Human Life Nondiscrimination Act/No Eugenics would have made it illegal for a physician to perform an abortion if he or she was aware that the mother wanted the abortion due to the race, sex, or presumed presence of Down Syndrome in the unborn child. The bill passed the NC General Assembly less than two weeks ago, and Governor Cooper had until today to take action.
In response to Governor Cooper’s veto, NC Family President John L. Rustin said, “Unfortunately it’s no surprise, but we are still dumbfounded as to how Governor Cooper can have so little regard for unborn babies. Unless it is overridden by the General Assembly, the Governor’s veto will be a death sentence for an untold number of babies diagnosed with Down’s syndrome or whose race is not preferred by the mother.”
HB 453 now returns to the legislature, where each chamber will need a three-fifths majority of members present and voting in order to override the governor’s veto. The bill passed the NC House with a bipartisan majority, but in the NC Senate, the vote fell along party lines. Republican lawmakers in the Senate will need to bring at least two Democrats to their side in order to override the veto.
NC Family will continue to update you on the progress of this life-saving legislation.
