In a new development, North Carolina Governor Roy Cooper, a Democrat, exercised his veto power and rejected legislation that aimed to ban almost all abortions in the state once a pregnancy reached 12 weeks.
The governor made the decisive move during a public rally on Saturday, sending the bill back to the state's Republican-led General Assembly. It's worth noting that the General Assembly holds a veto-proof majority in both chambers.
"Are we ready to stop this ban? Well, I'll tell you what, if we have to stand up to keep fighting the battles of last century, there's no one I'd rather have on my side than every single one of you. Because when women's health is on the line, I will never back down, and I know you won't either," Cooper told the crowd.
Cooper had until Sunday to take action on the proposed measure, which tightens existing state law that bans majority of abortions after 20 weeks of pregnancy.
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With the bill returning to the General Assembly, the stage is now set for a vote or, at the very least, an effort from GOP leaders to override Cooper's veto.
"I know one thing for certain, standing in the way of progress right now is this Republican super-majority legislature that only took 48 hours to turn the clock back 50 years on women's health," said Cooper.
This legislative response from Republicans in North Carolina comes in the wake of last year's Supreme Court decision to overturn Roe v. Wade, adding more weight to the ongoing debate surrounding reproductive rights.
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