Supporters of abortion rights are holding events across the state Monday to mark the 51st anniversary of Roe v. Wade. The landmark Supreme Court decision legalizing abortion was overturned in 2022.
Religious leaders gathered in Raleigh to voice their opposition to the new abortion restrictions approved in the past two years. Pastor Heather Rodrigues of Duke Memorial United Methodist Church in Durham said North Carolina's new restrictions harm women seeking abortions. The law bans most abortions after 12 weeks and requires waiting periods.
"Now in North Carolina, this patient may experience delays in getting the life-saving care that she needs," Rodrigues said. "Arbitrary laws like NC's (Senate Bill) 20 now mandate suffering, suffering that is an affront to human rights and to my beliefs as a Christian."
Under the law passed last year, all abortions are legal through 12 weeks of pregnancy — down from 20 weeks under the previous state law.
Victims of rape or incest can get an abortion through 20 weeks of pregnancy, and abortions are legal through 24 weeks when doctors diagnose a “life-limiting anomaly,” a disorder that would limit the lifespan of the child.
Patients seeking abortions before 12 weeks now face additional hurdles. The law requires in-person doctor visits for patients seeking medication abortions and mandates that a doctor must be present when abortion medication is administered. It adds new informed consent requirements, and it increases licensing requirements and regulatory fees for abortion providers.
Speakers at Monday's rally called for the restrictions to be repealed.
"We say to our legislators and our politicians, take your laws out of our doctor's offices," said Rabbi Lucy Dinner of Temple Beth Or in Raleigh. "Take your paws off of women's bodies."
N.C. Democratic Party leaders and members of the state's congressional delegation are holding similar rallies in Durham and in Mecklenburg County.
Republican legislative leaders say they don't anticipate passing further abortion restrictions during this year's legislative short session. But Democrats worry that further abortion bills could surface, particularly if the GOP keeps its veto-proof majorities in the legislature after this year's election.
