Lawmakers Call on Gov. Cooper to Sign Bill Preventing Abortions Based on Race or Down Syndrome | Eastern North Carolina Now

Press Release:

    Raleigh, NC     State Representatives Pat McElraft (R-Carteret) and Dr. Kristin Baker (R-Cabarrus) are calling on Governor Roy Cooper to sign the Human Life Non-Discrimination Act (House Bill 453), which prohibits abortions based on race or the prenatal diagnosis of Down syndrome. The lawmakers are both primary sponsors of the legislation.

    The Governor has until Friday, June 25th to either sign or veto the bill before it automatically becomes law without his signature.

    "I implore the Governor to put politics aside and join us in protecting these unborn children from discrimination," said Rep. McElraft. "No one should be denied the right to life because of his or her race or disability."

    Currently, six states have laws prohibiting abortions motivated by the race of the child and fourteen states, including North Carolina, have laws prohibiting sex-selective abortions. Nine other states have prohibited abortions motivated by a child's disability.

    Dr. Baker, who is also a child psychiatrist, added, "It is already illegal in North Carolina to have an abortion based on a child's gender. This legislation simply extends those same protections to include race and a prenatal diagnosis of Down syndrome."

    House Bill 453 passed the House by a vote of 67-42 with the support of six Democrats. The Senate passed the bill by a party-line vote of 27-20.

    The legislature would need a two-thirds majority in each chamber to override the Governor's veto.