An interesting article published last month explores all the ways that the state of North Carolina can improve upon its current legal environment with respect to pro-life issues. Let us remember that constitutional conservatives believe that pro-life legislation should take place at the state level wherever possible, not necessarily the federal level.
The article is found here, and begins on page 15. It is written by Mary Summa, an attorney with an interest in pro-life issues. The title is "An Aversion to Life: How North Carolina has Neglected the Unborn".
Republican leaders in Raleigh have an obligation to try to pass all the elements of its 10-point plan it had advertised before the election. And it has a massive budget shortfall to fix that was inherited from the current regime.
But they cannot forget that legal abortion on demand is the single greatest injustice within the state of North Carolina, likely responsible for the loss of hundreds of thousands of human lives here over the last several decades. Republican leaders have an obligation to do whatever they can to remedy that injustice.
Ms. Summa has some good ideas. The first, and the most important, is legislation to require informed consent for abortions performed in the state of North Carolina. Virtually all other significant surgical procedures require informed consent. But pro-abortion forces have historically opposed this type of requirement for legal abortions on demand.
A bill has been bottled up in committee for years by the Democratic leadership that would require informed consent in the state of North Carolina.
We already have a parental consent law in North Carolina for minors seeking to have an abortion. But several years ago, an activist judge in our state undermined the parental consent law by ruling that minors seeking an abortion could bring to the abortionist a consent note. The concern is that these consent notes could easily be forged; and that minors could thereby subvert the parental consent requirement. A bill to remedy this problem created by the activist judge has also been stuck in committee for years.
Dale Folwell, a key member of the leadership of the new Republican majority, offered some seemingly reassuring comments earlier this week:
Q. What kind of priorities will you guys have beyond the budget? Will immigration reform come up? Will we see a constitutional amendment to ban gay marriage? Will we see new abortion legislation?
A. I think there will be enough time and talent to hit singles and doubles on all of those issues. But, more specifically, voter ID and voter fraud and voter integrity (will be addressed). ... I think there will be enough time and talent to deal with how people who murder pregnant women in this state are going to be charged. I think there’s enough time and talent and will of the people to deal with the marriage amendment issue. I think there will be enough time and talent to do that, including figuring out what’s going on with illegal immigration.
Note that Folwell is a co-sponsor of both pieces of pro-life legislation. And note that Guilford County House members John Blust and Laura Wiley are also co-sponsors of both pieces of legislation.
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