Raleigh, N.C. – The veto override of a bipartisan bill to require a duty of care for born alive North Carolinians who are living and breathing fully outside the mother’s womb will be held on June 5, 2019 in the state House of Representatives, Speaker Tim Moore (R-Cleveland) announced Wednesday.
Gov. Roy Cooper vetoed Senate Bill 359 Born-Alive Abortion Survivors Protection Act which requires a duty of care to every infant born alive in North Carolina, whether or not it was born alive despite an attempted abortion.
The legislation only applies when a living, breathing baby is completely removed from a mother’s womb and shows signs of life like a heartbeat. It contains no provisions regarding pre-birth abortion procedures.
Four House Democrats and two Senate Democrats supported the original measure, and a Senate Democrat voted for a successful veto override in the Senate.
A federal judge recently struck down North Carolina’s limitations on abortions after 20 weeks.
State House Republicans are urging more of their Democratic colleagues to support the bill and protect North Carolinians who are born alive and surviving on their own outside of a mother’s womb.
“North Carolina’s leaders must take a stand together and say that we aren’t New York, we aren’t Virginia, we won’t allow or try to let a living, breathing child that is born alive be left to die on their own without any care in our state,” said Rep. Pat Mcelraft (R-Carteret), a lead sponsor of the House’s ‘Born Alive’ legislation.
“These little babies are North Carolinians who made it alive into our state and are surviving on their own. They’re worthy of our protection.”