The North Carolina Senate is poised to make a final decision on Monday regarding last-minute amendments to abortion restrictions set to be implemented on Saturday.
This vote occurs amid an ongoing federal court battle over the regulations, including a prohibition on most abortions after 12 weeks.
Last-Minute Abortion Amendments Amid Ongoing Legal Battle
Senate Republicans unexpectedly unveiled these modifications on Thursday, just ten days before the law is due to be enforced. If the Senate approves the amendments, they will then move to the House for further consideration.
The Legal Battle and Planned Parenthood Lawsuit: A federal judge is currently deliberating on whether to block key elements of the law while the lawsuit progresses.
Planned Parenthood, a reproductive health group, has filed a lawsuit against the state, seeking to block the rules for the time being.
Republican lawmakers hope that the new changes will persuade the judge to allow the abortion ban to take effect. However, Governor Roy Cooper, a Democrat, still holds the power to veto the bill if it is approved.
Attorney General’s Position and Intervention: Attorney General Josh Stein expressed agreement with the lawsuit’s claim that the law is largely unconstitutional.
He announced that his office would not defend many aspects of the law in the legal challenge, despite being the lead defendant in the case.
While he did not specify which particular parts he considered unconstitutional, further details are expected to be disclosed in court filings.
In response, Republican legislative leaders filed a motion late Thursday to intervene in the case and defend the new law where Stein will not.
Clarification of Abortion Rules and Democratic Concerns: Republicans introduced a new bill on Thursday aimed at clarifying the state’s abortion regulations.
Read more: The Impact Of Roe V Wade Reversal: Abortion Rights In Crisis Across America
Democrats Accuse Amendments of Trying to Bypass Planned Parenthood Lawsuit
However, Democrats argued that it appears to be an attempt to circumvent the Planned Parenthood lawsuit, which raised concerns about the vague and unconstitutional nature of certain sections in the original law.
Senate Democrats had only a short time to review the four-page amendment before the vote.
They contended that it acknowledged the ambiguity and was an effort to rectify it.
Conversely, Republicans asserted that the changes were merely technical and clarifying, without making substantive alterations.
This modification, previously subject to debate, is specifically mentioned in Planned Parenthood’s lawsuit, which deems it “nonsensical.” Planned Parenthood South Atlantic criticized the original bill as poorly drafted, causing confusion among healthcare providers and potentially denying necessary healthcare.
The amendments were added to House Bill 190, a broader measure related to the Department of Health and Human Services, which Senate Democrats supported until the abortion language was included.
Read more: Mike Pence Urges Stricter Federal Abortion Laws, While Remaining At Odds With Fellow Politicians
