NC legislature will consider veto override of abortion bill. Watch the debate here.

By the end of Tuesday, the Republican-supermajority General Assembly could override Gov. Roy Cooper’s veto, putting new abortion restrictions into effect in North Carolina.

Cooper vetoed Senate Bill 20 on Saturday at a rally in downtown Raleigh.

The bill restricts abortions after 12 weeks, with few exceptions. The House and Senate, which both have Republican supermajorities by one vote, passed the bill the first week of May.

Here is what happens next and how to follow the proceedings.

▪ The override vote will be called first in the Senate. Debate is expected to begin when the legislators convene at 4 p.m.

The Senate is not livestreamed, but you can watch video on this page, via ABC11, The News & Observer’s newsgathering partner.

▪ If the Senate is successful in overriding Cooper’s veto, the bill next goes to the House for an override vote. House Speaker Tim Moore said the House would start the voting session about 7 p.m. You can watch the debate here. (Debate was initially scheduled for 8 p.m.)

The measure could fail, as every single Republican House member would have to vote in favor, and be in attendance, for it to pass into law. Republicans can choose not to call an override vote even when it is on the calendar for that day’s session. If they decide not to call the vote, they could call it another time.

This story was originally published May 16, 2023 at 1:12 PM.

Dawn Baumgartner Vaughan

The News & Observer

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Dawn Baumgartner Vaughan is the Capitol Bureau Chief for The News & Observer, leading coverage of the legislative and executive branches in North Carolina with a focus on the governor, General Assembly leadership and state budget. She has received the McClatchy President’s Award, N.C. Open Government Coalition Sunshine Award and several North Carolina Press Association awards, including for politics and investigative reporting.