On Thursday, North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper signed into law changes to the state’s recently passed 12-week abortion law, which took effect on Saturday.
House Bill 190 advanced in the legislature last week and included last-minute changes to the abortion law, according to CNN. Though Gov. Cooper had previously vetoed the 12-week pro-life law — a veto that was overridden by the legislature — the governor said the changes were “important to clarify the rules and provide some certainty.”
He called the law “dangerous for women” and “so poorly written that it is causing real uncertainty for doctors and other health care providers.”
The changes allow induced abortion in medical emergencies (though abortion is never medically necessary) and ensure an abortionist who is “prescribing, administering, or dispensing an abortion-inducing drug must examine the woman in person…” In addition, the physician must verify the gestational age of the preborn child and document in the mother’s medical chart the gestational age and the existence of an ectopic pregnancy, and whether or not the woman received treatment for an Rh negative condition or any other diagnostic testing. Taking the abortion pill while experiencing an ectopic pregnancy can prove fatal for the mother and taking the abortion pill while Rh negative can cause future fertility concerns for the mother. An in-person exam can help prevent these complications for women, though the abortion pill is still more dangerous than a first-trimester surgical abortion according to a study.
Planned Parenthood had filed a lawsuit to stop the 12-week pro-life law from going into effect. The changes are seen as a response to that lawsuit.
“Our legal challenge forced General Assembly leadership to clean up their mess of a bill and clarify the sloppy provisions in their ban,” said Jenny Black, president and CEO of Planned Parenthood South Atlantic, in a statement. “These amendments are little more than lipstick on a pig, but they will allow us to provide abortion care to more people within the confines of this unjust and inhumane law. Planned Parenthood South Atlantic is working around the clock to implement these changes and prepare providers and patients for the sweeping abortion ban to take effect.”
According to reports, 69% of abortions carried out on North Carolina residents occurred at eight weeks of gestation or earlier in 2020. Nineteen percent (19%) were committed between nine and 12 weeks of gestation, while four percent (4%) were reported between 13 and 15 weeks. Three percent (3%) of the abortions occurred between 16 and 20 weeks. There were 30 abortions committed at 21 weeks of gestation or later in North Carolina on residents. Five percent of abortions were not reported with gestational age. With 88% of all abortions in the state occurring prior to 12 weeks, North Carolina’s new law is preventing only about 10% of all abortions in the state.
On Friday, a federal judge said the 12-week law could go into effect on Saturday but temporarily blocked one provision of the law — the requirement that abortionists document the location of early pregnancies with ultrasound evidence before prescribing the abortion pill. That portion of the law will remain blocked for two weeks until it can be reviewed by the court. U.S. District Court Judge Catherine Eagles said that all other portions of the bill could take effect, noting that the bill signed by Gov. Cooper on Thursday cleared up all other complaints made by Planned Parenthood.
Meanwhile, North Carolina Attorney General Josh Stein has said he will not defend the 12-week law, a decision that has led to accusations that Stein is putting his personal political agenda above his job. Stein is listed as a defendant in Planned Parenthood’s lawsuit.
