- North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper announces veto for state's 12-week abortion ban
- The legislation passed last week with support from Republican lawmakers
- The bill was the GOP's response to last year's Supreme Court ruling that overturned Roe v. Wade's protection of abortion rights
North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper vetoes the state's 12-week abortion ban, passed last week, in what many see as the start of a contentious legal battle.
The Democratic lawmaker announced in front of a crowd of supporters on Saturday. The situation sets up a legal battle for the GOP-led General Assembly, which is expected to attempt an override vote against Cooper's veto.
Roy Cooper Vetoes 12-Week Abortion Ban
The 12-week abortion ban legislation was the Republican lawmakers' response to last year's Supreme Court ruling that overturned Roe v. Wade's protection of the procedure. In a statement in front of the crowd, Cooper said, "We're going to have to kick it into an even higher gear when that veto stamp comes down," as per NPR.
Cooper argued that even if only one Republican House or Senate lawmaker keeps their commitment to protecting women's reproductive health, they could prevent the abortion ban.
A 42-year-old mother of three, Andrea Long, from Cary, said she was honored to have been part of the crowd watching Cooper. She said it was a "historic day for freedom" in the state.
Long added that she could not cry joyfully after seeing Cooper hold up the veto stamp. She said that she knew the situation was an uphill battle to keep momentum to curb the legislation.
If the situation where Cooper issued a veto against the 12-week abortion ban happened a few weeks ago, it would have been simpler. However, one state representative switched parties, giving over Republicans in North Carolina a veto-proof supermajority, according to ABC News.
Fighting Against the Veto
The official is state Rep. Tricia Cotham who was previously a member of the Democratic Party and supported abortion rights. In early April, she announced that she was moving to join the GOP and favored the new abortion bill.
Republican leadership has continued to push back on the North Carolina governor's criticism of the 12-week abortion ban, calling it a "mainstream abortion compromise." in a statement on Saturday, Senate Leader Phil Berger said that Cooper spent the last week lying to the public regarding Senate Bill 20.
Ahead of the veto, Cooper tried to pressure four Republicans and visited their respective districts, namely, state Reps. Ted Davis, John Bradford, Cotham, and Republican State Sen. Michael Lee. They are lawmakers who previously committed to protecting abortion rights.
The 12-week abortion ban will become law if both chambers approve the override by a three-fifths majority. A spokesperson for Republican House Speaker Tim Moore, Demi Dowdy, said that she was confident officials could override Cooper's veto and dismiss the North Carolina governor's efforts to "press these Republican members into voting his way," said CNN.
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