NC Republicans are coalescing around a 12-week abortion ban, House speaker says
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Abortion in North Carolina
Republicans in the North Carolina state legislature passed a law that implements new abortion restrictions. What does that mean for access to abortion? Read coverage on the issue from The News & Observer and The Charlotte Observer.
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North Carolina House Speaker Tim Moore said Thursday he believes Republicans in the House and Senate are “really close” to reaching a consensus on what new abortion restrictions should look like.
GOP lawmakers have been holding talks within their caucuses for months, and two proposals in particular had emerged as primary contenders: a 12-week ban that would prohibit abortions near the end of the first trimester, and a more restrictive ban that would only allow abortions up until around six weeks.
On Thursday, however, Moore said that House Republicans had coalesced around a consensus position of banning abortion after 12 weeks, and effectively ruled out further consideration of a six-week ban.
“The consensus position that we’ve developed, and I think I’ve been saying this now for quite a while, is around a 12-week period, with those exceptions built in for rape, incest, life of the mother, and fetal abnormality,” Moore told reporters. “I believe there’s been pretty well universal agreement on those.”
Moore said the final bill will likely include other provisions to make it easier for people to adopt kids, improve access to health care for expectant mothers and young children, and improve foster care.
Asked when he expects Republicans will be able to unveil the actual bill, Moore said that it may happen in the “coming weeks,” but not before the upcoming May 4 crossover deadline for bills to be passed by one chamber so that they can be voted on by the other chamber.
House Republicans unifying around a 12-week ban is notable, since a considerable number of GOP lawmakers in the House had been vocal in their support for a six-week ban. Some even suggested that shelving the six-week proposal in favor of a more moderate bill would be a mistake. But Moore, who has said he personally supports a six-week ban, has also said he wants to pass something that can be enacted over a veto from Gov. Roy Cooper.
A 12-week ban with exceptions is also supported by Senate leader Phil Berger. In past weeks, Berger has said Senate Republicans are still holding talks, but Moore indicated that a consensus between Republicans in both chambers is not far off.
“I think we’re really close to being on the same page,” Moore said.
Lauren Horsch, a spokesperson for Berger, said in an email on Thursday afternoon that “conversations remain ongoing on the specifics of a proposal.”
“Senate Republicans remain hopeful that we can land on a proposal that will save the most innocent lives and become law,” Horsch said.
This story was originally published April 20, 2023 at 3:42 PM.
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