Concerns also extend to families who use in vitro fertilization and women with IUDs.
RALEIGH, N.C. โ A North Carolina bill making headlines nationwide would ban abortion at any stage of pregnancy, classify the procedure as first-degree murder and authorize the use of deadly force to stop it โ prompting swift pushback from advocates.
House Bill 1232 states:ย “Any person who willfully seeks to destroy the life of another person, by any means, at any stage of life, or succeeds in doing so, shall be held accountable for attempted murder or for first degree murder, respectively.”
The bill goes on to say, “Any person has the right to defend his or her own life or the life of another person, even by the use of deadly force if necessary.”
Advocates warn the language implies that anyone could use lethal force against a woman seeking an abortion or a physician involved in performing one. Concerns also extend to families who use in vitro fertilization and women with IUDs.
“The verbiage is so loose that it literally could mean anything,” Ayman Safadi, a Charlotte voter, said. “It’s extremely extreme.”
Safadi questioned where personal liability could end under the bill’s broad language.
“So am I now subject to death because I know of this and didn’t report you? It’s crazy,” Safadi said. “People who wrote this bill like to talk about a slippery slope. This is the slipperiest of slopes.”
The backlash was enough to cause one of the bill’s sponsors to pull support. Rep. Ben Moss posted a statement Tuesday night saying in part: “The purpose behind this legislation was to affirm the value and dignity of unborn life โ not to suggest that women should face capital punishment or to create uncertainty surrounding difficult medical situations.”
His full statement can be found on his X account.
Rep. Keith Kidwell is now the only remaining sponsor of the bill. He did not respond to a request for comment Wednesday.
Pro-Choice North Carolina said in a statement: “If the political party in charge at the NCGA actually cared about families, they’d work to reduce the out-of-pocket costs we pay for healthcare, they would pass a statewide living wage so our families and neighbors could thrive.”
The bill passed its first reading but faces a lengthy path forward. Because it would amend the state constitution, it would ultimately require approval from voters.
Contact Julie Kay at juliekay@wcnc.com and follow her on Facebook, X and Instagram.
For the latest breaking news, weather and traffic alerts that impact you from WCNC Charlotte, download the WCNC Charlotte mobile app and enable push notifications.
