North Carolina’s first Republican-led state government in more than a hundred years has been met with weekly protests opposing the legislature’s attempts to limit access to women’s health clinics that provide abortions. Dubbed “Moral Monday,” the rallies have combined with similar controversy in Texas to raise the national consciousness on a conservative movement that could make it almost impossible for women in the states to terminate a pregnancy safely and legally.
Last week North Carolina senators passed a bill requiring clinics to conform to the same safety standards as ambulatory survey centers, according to The Nation. The law, passed in the Senate by a 27-14 vote, is scheduled to be voted on in the state House of Representatives on Wednesday. Republican Governor Pat McCrory promised during his campaign that he would not sign into law any restriction on abortion laws but, even if he keeps that pledge, the bill could pass without his signature.According to the Raleigh News Observer, there are currently four Planned Parenthood clinics in all of North Carolina. The new safety standards, which Democrats have described as a sham meant only to cut access, could reduce the number to one because of expensive licensing fees and doctor requirements.
Over 2,000 protesters entered the capitol building in Raleigh Monday, with 64 arrested after they refused to exit the legislative chamber. Among those taken into police custody was Janet Colm, president and CEO of Planned Parenthood of Central North Carolina.
“I wish I was in a position to be arrested,” protester Megan Katsaounis told The Nation. “A lot of us are angry at the direction our state is going and we’re feeling very helpless right now. Being hauled away in handcuffs seems like a very tangible way of taking a stand, and I love how volunteers support the arrestees, providing meals for everyone upon release. It’s inspiring.”
Some North Carolinians said the proposal could reverse decades of progress in women’s rights, while others worried the abortion restrictions would put the state on par with Texas, where lawmakers have continued to push an anti-choice agenda despite internationally publicized protests.
