RALEIGH, N.C. — North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper weighed in Monday on the ramifications of apparently losing his veto power at the state legislature, urging party-switching former Democratic state Rep. Tricia Cotham to stick up for the values she campaigned on before she became a Republican last week.
“If she keeps her word on the issues, her votes and the positions she takes in Republican Caucus can still stop bad legislation that hurts people she promised to help, regardless of her party,” Cooper said in a series of posts on Twitter.
MORE NEWS: Newly passed abortion rules in NC headed to governor as Republicans hold 'vote-proof' majority
North Carolina lawmakers on Thursday approved a ban on nearly all abortions after 12 weeks of pregnancy, down from the current 20 weeks, in response to last year’s overturning of Roe v. Wade at the U.S. Supreme Court.
The ban is one of the least onerous of a slew of bills Republican-led assemblies have pushed through in recent months since the high court stripped away women’s constitutional protections for abortion. Other states have banned the procedure nearly completely or throughout pregnancy.
While perhaps less restrictive, North Carolina's bill has far-reaching consequences. Before its passage, many women from nearby states with restrictive laws had traveled to the state for abortions in later stages of pregnancy.
Gov. Cooper has pledged to veto the bill, calling it “an egregious, unacceptable attack on the women of our state,” but GOP seat margins and assurances from chamber leaders indicate a veto will likely be overridden.
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