In what proponents regard as a "major victory" for the protection of women and saving the lives of unborn children, North Carolina's state legislature has approved a bill that extends the state's abortion waiting period to 72 hours, joining four other states that have passed a similar law.
The bill was approved by the Senate with a 32-16 vote on Wednesday last week after the House passed a version of the bill in April. The bill requires a doctor or any other medical professional to inform a woman seeking abortion that alternatives are available and she has the right to review materials on the unborn baby and abortion alternatives before she undergoes abortion. The bill, however, exempts medical emergencies.
The bill also provides state regulators more information on certain second-trimester abortions and requires that abortion facilities must be inspected every year. Anyone under 18 years of age is prohibited by the bill to work at abortion facilities. Finally, it further explains the state's definition of statutory rape and includes regulations related to child support and sex violators.
Executive Director of the NC Values Coalition Tami Fitzgerald said the bill represents a "major victory that will protect women and save the lives of unborn children in North Carolina." She urged the governor to sign the bill immediately.
Among the 26 states that currently require a waiting period before a woman undergoes abortion are Missouri, South Dakota, and Utah. These states have 72-hour delay period. Oklahoma's 72-hour wait period law is set to take effect in November.
North Carolina already had a 24-hour wait period, but the bill's sponsors said increasing it would give women more time to get enough information about the procedure. The bill's House supporters are hoping it will reduce the number of abortions in the state.
North Carolina has passed a number of laws related to abortion ever since Republicans gained a majority in the legislature in 2011, including the 24-hour wait period. Some anti-abortion experts say the laws have reduced abortions in the state by 26 percent since 2010.
Gov. Pat McCrory announced that he has plans to sign the bill. He said signing it won't violate his 2012 campaign promise to establish further abortion restrictions because the measure is for protecting women's health.
"We ensured that contact, including a simple phone call, would start a reasonable process that protects women's health, and we also more clearly and rationally defined medical training and qualifications to ensure there will be no further restrictions on access," he said.
Planned Parenthood and NARAL Pro-Choice North Carolina said they would present thousands of petitions for the governor to veto the bill. This was before McCrory declared his plans of signing the bill.
Alison Kiser, a Planned Parenthood South Atlantic spokeswoman, said "going back on his word by allowing these new restrictions to become law would represent a fundamental betrayal of voters' trust."
However, the bill's proponents remain firm on their cause that the law will protect women and save children.
"Seventy-two hours is not asking for too much for something this important," said House co-sponsor Rep. Pat McElraft. "Why do we not want [women] to have the opportunity to change their minds? Please let women have this opportunity to reach out to pregnancy clinics to guide her ... for alternatives."
