As the battle to protect reproductive rights continues, some state leaders are stepping up to ensure not only their residents but those visiting are guaranteed their right to abortion. Although abortion is still legal in North Carolina until fetal viability despite the Supreme Court overturning Roe v. Wade, North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper signed Executive Order 263 on Wednesday to ensure reproductive health services in North Carolina remain accessible in the state.
“The Supreme Court ripped away the constitutional right to reproductive freedom that women have relied on for five decades,” Cooper said in a press release.
“For now, it’s up to the states to determine whether women get reproductive health care, and in North Carolina they still can, thanks to my veto and enough legislative votes to sustain it. I am determined to keep it that way and people need to know that their votes in state legislative races this November will determine the fate of women’s health and freedom in our state.”
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The order not only prohibits state agencies from forcing a pregnant state employee to travel to another state where there are no protections for the health of the pregnant employee, but also directs the Department of Public Safety to work with law enforcement to prohibit anyone from blocking access to a health care facility.
Additionally, it protects not only in-state patients but those from out-of-state by prohibiting investigations into out-of-state patients. As a result, those who travel to the state for abortion procedures cannot be prosecuted.
“This order will help protect North Carolina doctors and nurses and their patients from cruel, right-wing, criminal laws passed by other states,” Cooper said Wednesday at a news conference. He was joined by executives from Planned Parenthood.
Experts predict an increase in out-of-state patients, especially in states like South Carolina where bans are in place. As a result of bans across the country, many pregnant individuals seeking abortions are expected to travel over 100 miles for services. Clinics are being forced to close nationwide as a result of state bans.
According to the Guttmacher Institute, a reproductive health research group, at least 26 states are “certain or likely” to ban or limit abortion due to the overturn of Roe v. Wade, while 16 states have laws that protect the right to abortion.
“Abortion is a normal part of reproductive health care. Every person is the expert in their own life, and we must trust them to make their own decisions about their health, their family, and their future,” said Dr. Katherine Farris, chief medical officer of Planned Parenthood South Atlantic.
According to the Associated Press, Planned Parenthood clinics in North Carolina are scheduled to perform abortions for nearly 200 out-of-state patients this week. This makes up only one-third of their scheduled appointments.
"Our objective is clear: to keep abortion legal in this state," said Jenny Black, president and CEO of Planned Parenthood Votes! South Atlantic. "North Carolinians must elect candidates who will protect access to sexual and reproductive health care at the state level and ensure Governor Cooper has the necessary votes to sustain his veto of the all-out attacks on reproductive freedom that are sure to come."
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