By Traci DeVette Griggs
When the complexion of the North Carolina General Assembly changed after the last election, pro-life Christians around the state expected to see movement on some bills that have been languishing in the legislature for years. Their hopes were not denied. Four key pieces of legislation passed both House and Senate; however, one important bill is still sitting on Governor Beverly Perdue’s desk. It’s called the Woman’s Right to Know bill and many people expect the governor to veto it.
Choose Life License Plate. This bill has been a true perennial; sprouting for ten years in the general assembly and each year it has been rejected or left languishing in a committee. It was among a long list of specialty plates being consider this year including Stock Car Racing, Guilford Battleground, First in Forestry, and Support our Troops. But the Choose Life plate was the most contentious. Amendment after amendment attempted to gut the bill or place restrictions on it, but in the end it squeaked through the door just as the legislature was about to adjourn. Why all the angst over a license plate design? Perhaps it’s because a percentage of the income from the plates goes to Pregnancy Resource Centers, which provide abortion alternatives.
Unborn Victims of Violence Act/Ethen’s Law. The opposition was intense for another pro-life bill designed to designate an unborn child as a victim when the mother suffers from a violent act. However, the bill passed and has been signed into law. L. A. Williams, writing for the Christian Action League, recounts testimony from Representative Edgar Starnes from Caldwell County, who supported the bill. “If it is a crime to kill an unborn deer in North Carolina, it should be a crime to kill an unborn child,” he had earlier told the body, describing a drunk driving case in his district some 25 years ago in which a woman was hit head-on and lost her full-term baby as a result. When the district attorney tried to charge the drunken driver with the death, the judge dismissed the case because North Carolina law does not recognize unborn children as worthy of protection. Starnes said that same year a hunter charged with killing a doe out of season had his charges tripled when it was determined the animal was carrying twin fawns.
State Funds Cut to Planned Parenthood. You may have heard headlines about the budget battle between Governor Perdue and state lawmakers. Perdue vetoed the budget but legislators quickly retooled, gathered a few more votes, and over-rode the veto. Lost in the scuffle was the story that this budget successfully removed all state funding for Planned Parenthood, the nation’s largest abortion provider. According to Planned Parenthood, that cuts four percent or just over $434,000 per year from their budget. The budget also prohibits coverage for elective abortions in government health insurance policies, and repeals the state abortion fund.
Woman’s Right to Know Awaits Governor’s Signature or Veto. The Legislative Research Office estimates this new law could save eight babies from abortion every day in North Carolina. That’s nearly 3,000 fewer abortions each year simply because women are given more information and more time to consider alternatives. However, the bill fell one vote short of being veto-proof in both the House and the Senate. So it sits on the governor’s desk awaiting her decision. She has 10 days to decide whether to issue a veto. The Christian Life and Public Affairs Committee of the BSCNC is urging NC Baptists to call Governor Perdue’s office at 919-733-4240 to ask her to allow the Woman's Right to Know bill to become law.
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