Gov. Pat McCrory doled out handshakes and hailed parade-goers as he rode in this Rowan County town’s Fourth of July parade Thursday, but he wouldn’t say what he’d do about a controversial abortion bill if it reaches his desk.
That question has been on many minds in North Carolina this week, after the N.C. Senate Wednesday approved sweeping new rules that could limit abortions. The bill now goes to the N.C. House.
The legislation would require N.C. abortion clinics to meet tougher standards similar to those governing outpatient surgery clinics. As a result, critics say, it would effectively close the majority of the state’s 16 abortion clinics. It would also require doctors to be present when women take pills to induce abortions.
Supporters of the legislation say those rules are necessary to keep women safe. Opponents say they’re simply an attempt to restrict abortions.
The bill came as a surprise to most people Tuesday evening when it emerged for a preliminary vote in the Senate without public notice. By Wednesday morning, hundreds of protesters had converged on the legislature.
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