North Carolina governor loses abortion veto override battle as GOP supermajorities hold
Breccan F. Thies
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The North Carolina legislature Tuesday succeeded in overriding Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper‘s (D-NC) veto of abortion restrictions after his statewide public pressure campaign failed to flip one legislator in either chamber.
Cooper vetoed a 12-week abortion ban Saturday, which was “compromise” legislation enacted to reduce the Tar Heel State’s notoriety as an abortion destination in the South. The restriction would still be more permissive than most other states in the South.
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The Republican Party holds one-person supermajorities in both the state House and Senate after state Rep. Tricia Cotham left the Democratic Party for the GOP last month.
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Republican leadership expressed confidence heading into the vote, with House Speaker Tim Moore (R) saying he expected his entire caucus to back the override. Similarly, on Saturday, Senate President Pro Tempore Phil Berger (R) said, “I look forward to promptly overriding his veto.”
The state Senate was the first to vote to override Cooper’s veto Tuesday evening, in a vote of 30-20, meeting the 3/5 threshold needed.
After the vote, four female Republican senators issued a statement, saying, “This is a monumental moment for women, children, and families in North Carolina. Our bill puts to rest all of the noise and lies we’ve been hearing this past week, and brings to life a culture that cherishes motherhood and saves the lives of the unborn.”
In a late-night vote, the House also voted to override along party lines, 72-48. The House erupted in chaos and yells of “shame” after the vote.
With both chambers overriding Cooper’s veto, the bill will become law and North Carolina will restrict abortions at 12 weeks gestation immediately.
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Prior to the vote, Cooper traveled to the constituencies of Republican members he believed he could persuade to vote in his favor. In addition, abortion giant Planned Parenthood and the Democratic Socialists of America held rallies and attempted to pressure Republican members in politically split districts to uphold Cooper’s veto.
Pro-life organizations got involved as well, as SBA Pro-Life America and North Carolina Values Coalition ran digital ads and met with lawmakers about the bill.