RALEIGH, North Carolina (LifeSiteNews) – North Carolina Republicans have introduced legislation to ban most abortions starting at six weeks that would bring the legal cutoff point much closer to conception while a true ban at conception faces resistance from the House GOP speaker.
Filed April 9, HB 844 would amend the current law, which bans abortion at 12 weeks except in cases of rape, incest, “medical emergency,” or “life-limiting anomaly,” to take effect at six weeks instead, roughly the point at which a fetal heartbeat can be detected.
The bill would also require the state Department of Health and Human Services to publish a range of information pertaining to adoption, pregnancy support services, and other alternatives to abortion.
“This bill is necessary for saving the lives of more unborn babies, because 92% of abortions in North Carolina take place before 12 weeks,” said Tami Fitzgerald, executive director of the North Carolina Values Coalition. “Even more compelling, our laws are less restrictive than neighboring states, causing women to pour into North Carolina to obtain abortions and making it an abortion destination state. This needs to stop. A heartbeat is the indicator of life, both at the beginning and at the end of life. Every beating heart deserves protection, because life is a human right.”
HB 844 was introduced by state Reps. Brian Echevarria, Diane Wheatley, and Dennis Riddell, and has been referred to the House Committee on Rules, Calendar, and Operations of the House.
It remains to be seen if the more modest legislation will meet with the approval of Republican state House Speaker Destin Hall, who previously said a stronger bill to ban abortion starting at conception without rape or incest exceptions was “not going to be heard in committee,” because “I don’t think there’s any real desire in our caucus to hear that particular bill.”
“We just passed, less than two years ago, really landmark pro-life legislation, and that bill did a lot of things, and I think we need to give some more time to see how that bill is working, but I don’t anticipate doing much more on that issue this session,” Hall added.
Twelve states currently ban all or most abortions. But the abortion lobby is working feverishly to cancel out those deterrents via deregulated interstate distribution of abortion pills, legal protection and financial support of interstate abortion travel, constructing new abortion facilities near borders shared by pro-life and pro-abortion states, making liberal states sanctuaries for those who want to evade or violate the laws of more pro-life neighbors, and enshrining abortion “rights” in state constitutions.
North Carolina residents, to respectfully voice your concerns, please contact:
Speaker Destin Hall
Phone: 919-733-3451
Email: [email protected]
