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Republican bill banning most abortions in NC after 12 weeks heads to Gov. Roy Cooper
A Republican bill banning most abortions in North Carolina after 12 weeks of pregnancy won Senate approval in a 29-20, party-line vote Thursday. The state House passed the bill late Wednesday night, so it will soon land on Gov. Roy Cooper’s desk. Cooper, a Democrat, has said he will veto the measure. The bill will […]
NC House passes 12-week abortion ban along party lines. The NC Senate votes Thursday.
House Republicans voted for new restrictions on abortion as members of the public heckled them and House Democrats filed a formal protest. The bill banning most abortions after 12 weeks passed along party lines Wednesday night, with 71 Republicans voting for it, including Rep. Tricia Cotham of Mecklenburg County, and 46 Democrats voting against it. […]
NC Republican abortion bill creates new hurdles throughout pregnancy
The new abortion restrictions that North Carolina Republican lawmakers are ready to adopt are more complicated than the post-12-week ban they described at a news conference Tuesday evening. The bill also imposes new restrictions on access for people who seek abortions throughout their pregnancies, including those who use abortion pills. New licensing requirements for abortion […]
NC Republicans present their bill banning abortion after 12 weeks in most cases
North Carolina Republican legislators disclosed at a news conference Tuesday evening the details of their proposed law that would ban most abortions after 12 weeks. The current 20-week abortion ban would remain in effect for cases of rape or incest. Abortions could be performed up to 24 weeks in cases of life-limiting fetal anomalies, said […]
NC Senate unanimously approves upping penalties for disseminating obscenities around minors
The state Senate unanimously approved a bill that would increase the penalty disseminating obscenity while knowingly in the presence of someone younger than 18. The bill had been controversial, with some Democratic legislators concerned that it would apply to school materials or libraries, or that adolescents would face charges for showing pornographic material to their […]
Celebrated Tennessee legislator tells NC Black elected officials to challenge the status quo
Rep. Justin Pearson of the Tennessee House encouraged North Carolina Black elected officials to be vocal advocates for justice for all, even when the odds are against them. “Going along to get along will not heal us,” he said. “We must be angelic dissenters to the status quo and fight actively for the change we […]
Open-ended bill allowing denial of health care based on provider beliefs is denounced as anti-trans
The legislature is considering a bill that would allow health care workers to deny treatment that conflicts with their moral, religious, or philosophical beliefs. The proposed legislation would cover a range of health care jobs, from doctors, to nursing home employees, to lab technicians, as well as insurance companies, hospitals and clinics. Current law allows […]
Going to work sick and losing income while caring for a newborn. NC workers talk about benefits and the minimum wage.
Blanca Borceguin became a mother of two daughters while working at jobs where she did not have paid maternity leave. While taking unpaid leave after her eldest daughter’s birth, she still had to pay $553 a month to keep her health insurance, she said. And after her daughter was born, Borceguin said her bosses didn’t […]
Controversial measure deregulating Blue Cross NC advances in state House
The controversial bill allowing the state’s dominant nonprofit health insurer to act more like a for-profit company pushed through a House committee Tuesday after an abbreviated discussion and a divided vote. The bill would allow the nonprofit, Blue Cross Blue Shield of North Carolina, to create a holding company that could use insurance company assets […]
Blue Cross NC deregulation bill could lead to higher premiums, Insurance Commissioner says
Changes to state law that Blue Cross NC wants could mean increased premiums for millions of health insurance policyholders, state Insurance Commissioner Mike Causey said Monday. Blue Cross Blue Shield of North Carolina, a nonprofit health insurer, disagreed with Causey’s assessment. In an email, company spokeswoman Sara Lang said the bill has been revised to […]
Legislation seeks to find out many people in NC are involuntarily committed for mental health treatment
A bill filed this week would require the state to track and report how many people are forced into psychiatric treatment. Involuntary commitments are increasing in the state, but it’s difficult to find out how many many times judges decide people are dangerous to themselves or others and force them into treatment. Rep. John Autry, […]
NC Senate committee approves caps on medical debt interest, limits on aggressive collection tactics
A bill that would limit aggressive medical debt collection tactics got its first affirmative vote in the legislature Thursday as it moved through a Senate committee with little discussion. Treasurer Dale Folwell, a Republican running for governor, has been promoting the “Medical Debt De-Weaponization Act” for months at community gatherings statewide. The bill would prohibit […]