On Tuesday May 16, North Carolina’s Republican-led General Assembly moved to ban most abortions after 12 weeks. Democratic Governor Roy Cooper vetoed the abortion ban on Saturday after the General Assembly advanced the bill to his desk. But, not long after this, his veto was overridden. 

  Governor Cooper called out multiple GOP members legislators, House members and one senator, who he said told voters last year that they would protect abortion access. “We are going to have to kick it into an even higher gear when that veto stamp comes down. If just one Republican in either the House or the Senate keeps a campaign promise to protect women’s reproductive health we can stop this ban,” Cooper said at a rally on Saturday. 

  The Senate Bill 20, also known as the “Care for Women, Children and Families Act,” bans any licensed physician from performing surgical abortions after the 12th week of pregnancy. The exception for the ban include cases of rape and incest through 20 weeks of pregnancy or in the event of a “life-limiting anomaly” through 24 weeks. This bill takes effect July 1. Under the bill, the procedure could be performed by a physician if a doctor determines an abortion is necessary to avert death – “not including psychological or emotional conditions.”