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RALEIGH, NC (AP) – A bill compelling doctors and nurses to protect and care for children born alive during a late abortion has allowed the North Carolina Senate to win a victory Monday, granting to social conservatives a victory that the Democratic governor could cancel.
The Republican Bill states that health care practitioners must grant living-born children the same protections as any other newborn patient. Those who do not, could face a prison sentence and an active prison sentence, with a potential fine of $ 250,000 and other damages. A mother can not be prosecuted, but health care providers who fail to report inappropriate care to the authorities could be prosecuted.
"It has nothing to do with limiting abortion," Republican Senator Joyce Krawiec, the sponsor of the bill, said in a debate. "This bill does not change anything except the way this newborn infant is treated."
Lawmakers and abortion rights activists strongly oppose the bill, saying the problem it is trying to solve is non-existent. They also say that medical licensing offices and existing criminal laws already punish doctors and nurses who do not provide care to a newborn. The measure seeks rather to impose medical actions between a doctor and a pregnant woman, infringing her right to an abortion.
"It's a matter of politics, and I'm standing with women and their doctors, and I will not be part of this shift toward the overthrow of Roe (versus) Wade," said Senator Natasha Marcus, a Democrat. named for the first time. She was referring to the landmark 1973 decision of the US Supreme Court legalizing abortion at the national level.
The measure is now moving to the House for a scheduled ground debate and a vote on the measure on Tuesday. Democratic governor Roy Cooper criticized the measure through a spokesperson, hoping that he would veto it if he reached his office.
Two Democratic senators joined all Republicans voting 28 and 19 for the measure Monday night, suggesting that a veto could be voided in this chamber. But Republicans in the House may need seven Democrats to join them and vote for the legislation to fully resist any veto. Republicans hold the majority in both houses, but lost control of the veto in January after the Democratic seats won in November.
Anti-abortion groups have adopted the "Law on the Protection of Survivors of the Newborn Abortion" which they believe would protect children born alive after a failed abortion and who would otherwise be left to die. The laws of the state relating to murder would also be expanded to the extent to apply to a "manifest and intentional act" after the birth of a child.
Proponents of the bill provided written testimony from adults who saw or survived a botched abortion. However, we do not know how often such situations occur.
The North Carolina Values ​​Coalition said that five states reported that at least 25 children were born alive during abortion attempts in 2017. North Carolina does not maintain any such statistics.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported more than 140 infant deaths related to induced terminations between 2003 and 2014 across the country. They did not specify the level of care of these newborns.
Republicans in North Carolina have adopted restrictions on abortion during the current decade, including one that has extended the waiting time for the procedure to 72 hours. However, a North Carolina law amended in 2015 to limit abortion after 20 weeks of pregnancy to those who were in a medical emergency was overturned by a federal judge. He postponed the enforcement of his decision so that the state could appeal or rewrite this law.
The anti-abortion and abortion rights occupied seats on either side of the Senate tribune on Monday. Two other Democrat women who voted against the bill are vying for next year. Senator Erica Smith is a candidate for the US Senate while Senator Terry Van Duyn wants to be the next Lieutenant Governor.
Current Governor Dan Forest, Republican and Speaker of the Senate, approved the bill. He is preparing to run for governorship in 2020, hoping to dislodge Cooper.
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