Federal Judge Reinstates North Carolina's 20-Week Abortion Ban

Abortion after 20 weeks gestation is no longer legal in North Carolina, a federal judge ruled Wednesday, leaving South for reproductive freedom The protection of one of the few safe havens has been eroded.

U.S. District Court Judge William Osteen, after overturning the June U.S. Supreme Court decisionRoe v. Wadereinstated his 20-week abortion ban, which had not been enforced. issued an injunction to a 1973 state law that he removed the legal basis of the 2019 judgment.

His decision runs counter to the recommendations of all parties named in the 2019 lawsuit, including the Doctor, District Attorney and Office of the Attorney General.

Democratic Governor Roy Cooper's failure to pass a survivable abortion limit despite his veto has forced Republican Congressional leaders to to reinstate the ban on his July 27 friends. A court briefing after the state's Democratic Attorney General, an outspoken abortion rights advocate, rejected their request to bring the ban before a judge himself.

Osteen The ruling sparked an already controversial midterm election year after the Supreme Court ruling put state-level politics in the spotlight. While fending off challenges to retain the 2016 Congress, it will seek to win the additional five seats it needs to secure a veto supermajority in the state legislature in November.

Republican lawmakers say a successful election season could open the door for further abortion restrictions when the General Assembly resumes early next year. House Speaker Tim Moore told reporters on July 26 that some patients become pregnant when an ultrasound scan first detects fetal heart activity, usually about six weeks after conception. He hopes that Congress will consider banning abortion before it realizes that it is plagued with malnutrition. are already increasing access to The governor announced on his July 6th that he would protect out-of-state abortion patients from extradition and that state agencies under his control would assist other states in prosecuting those traveling for the procedure. signed an executive order banning

North Carolina has become a haven for residents of more restrictive neighboring states such as South Carolina, Georgia, and Tennessee. Abortion was legal until fetal viability (generally between 24 and 28 weeks of gestation) or certain emergencies occurred.

Other states in the Southeast continue to reduce access to abortion, says Alison Kaiser, executive director of Planned Parenthood Votes. South Atlantic said restricting treatment in "critical access point states" like North Carolina would have ripple effects throughout the region. The number of patients from HIV has tripled since the Supreme Court ruling, Kiser said. So far, 36% of her abortions have traveled from other states in August, up from 14% of her in June.

But Republicans argue that the reinstatement of the 20-week ban will make little difference. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, fewer than 1% of abortions were performed nationwide in 2019 after the 20th week of pregnancy.

"Abortions after 20 weeks are rare, but it's very important that people have access to this treatment," he said. "The two main reasons people need abortion care in the third trimester of pregnancy are because new medical information has been received and now they face barriers to delaying care."

The main delay, she said, is that North Carolina mandates a 72-hour waiting period to get an abortion after the first doctor's visit. The General Assembly extended her waiting period in 2015, making North Carolina her fifth state to request counseling three days before her abortion. This is her one of the longest waiting periods in the country.

The 2015 bill also amended a state law Osteen reinstated on Wednesday, narrowing the criteria for medical emergencies that can justify an abortion after 20 weeks. 

• North Carolina
• Roe v. Wade
• Abortion }