McCrory said he doesn’t consider the provisions in the House bill that increase regulation of abortion clinics to be in conflict with his campaign promise because the regulations simply need updating to ensure patient safety. The last time the state updated the regulations was in 1994.
“I will sign it because it doesn’t restrict further access and it’s safer, which was needed,” McCrory said in an interview in New Bern earlier Friday with a News 14 reporter, according to the TV station.
Last week, the Senate unexpectedly produced a new abortion bill that pulled together elements of three other bills and quickly passed it. On Monday, McCrory expressed reservations about the bill, telling reporters there was a distinction between safety measures and restrictions, and that he wanted to ensure women’s health was protected.
On Wednesday, he threatened to use his veto power for the first time if his concerns weren’t addressed. The announcement heartened abortion-rights supporters, but not for long. The House then crafted a new bill in consultation with the governor’s administration, which the full House approved Thursday.
So, at this point instead of the NC Senate deciding to close down all but one clinic in the state, McCrory can quietly close down all of them with even more draconian stuff. After all, this is a guy who in the seven months since he took office has purged regulators from nearly every state department and replaced them with his own cronies, signed into law such drastic cuts in unemployment benefits that the state no longer qualifies for any federal unemployment dollars, moved to eliminate early voting and same-day voter registration, and named wealthy state Tea Party leader Art Pope as his budget director.
Yeah, McCrory won't totally screw over women with this bill.
There are not many differences between the House and Senate versions of the bill. The Senate bill would require abortion clinics to meet standards that are similar to outpatient surgery centers. Only one clinic in the state meets those stringent standards and 16 others could have to close because they couldn’t afford to upgrade.
The House bill orders the state Department of Health and Human Services to develop regulations that in some instances might be as stringent as outpatient surgery centers if applicable, “while not unduly restricting access.” The bill also allows the state to develop temporary rules without legislative approval, and eventually come up with permanent rules.
The House bill’s sponsors say that it is meant to be less restrictive than the Senate bill, but opponents say it is vague and could end up erecting more barriers to abortion clinics than the other bill, depending on how the law is interpreted.
And guess who now has total control over the state's Department of Health and Human Services? Why, Pat McCrory, who purged those appointed by Democrats and installed his own guys. Best part is he'll get away with it. Or, he thinks he will.
How about it, North Carolina women?
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