CHOICE IN JEOPARDY

On January 22, supporters of a woman's right to choose celebrated the 30th anniversary of Roe v. Wade, but now a few North Carolina legislators are threatening to roll back reproductive rights. The General Assembly has been inundated this session with anti-choice bills that seek to restrict access to reproductive health care and deny women the right to choose whether to have an abortion.

"'Choose Life' License Plate" (SB 96 and H 64) would authorize the N.C. Division of Motor Vehicles to issue a state license plate with the phrase "Choose Life," by far the most blatantly political and provocative of available state plates.

"Conscience Protection/Contraception" (S 595 and H 642) would gut a 1999 law that currently requires all health insurers that provide coverage for prescription drugs to extend that coverage so that it includes prescription contraceptive drugs and devices.  This bill would also extend the "conscience clause" to allow individual employers who oppose abortion to deny coverage to their employees.

"No Abortion Under State Employee Health Plan" (S 569 and H 854) would prohibit coverage for abortions under the medical plan for teachers and state employees.

"Notarized Consent for Minor's Abortion" (S 570 and H 830) would require a parent or guardian to provide notarized consent to her/his daughter's abortion if unable or unwilling to accompany her.

The misleadingly titled "Woman's Right to Know" (S 571 and H 998) would require a 24-hour delay for women seeking abortions and would force doctors to provide anti-abortion guidance and information to women who seek abortions.

"Abortion/Extend Conscience Protection" (S 942) would extend the "conscience protection" law (which now covers doctors and nurses) to include pharmacists and other "health care providers" who refuse to participate in abortion or dispense abortifacients.  Some health care providers mistakenly think that Emergency Contraception and birth control pills cause abortion.

"Parental Notice of Health Care" (S 638) would completely prohibit local school administrations from providing any psychological or reproductive health care to students. It would also make it illegal for schools to refer students to physicians that would provide such care without parental consent, unless the student's life was in immediate danger.

Republican senator Austin Allran introduced four of the seven anti-choice bills in the Senate and is leading the crusade in the General Assembly against women's reproductive rights. Fellow Republicans Andrew Brock, Phil Berger, and Jerry Tillman introduced the remaining three Senate bills, and all are co-sponsors of each other's proposals.

Already, the National Abortion Rights Action League (NARAL) gives North Carolina a grade of C- for its abortion laws, and 78 percent of N.C. counties have no abortion provider at all.  If any of these bills pass into law, North Carolina would be on its way back to the pre-Roe era, before the decision whether to end a pregnancy was a woman's legally recognized right.  And if the legislators supporting these bills are successful in their efforts to chip away at women's reproductive rights, North Carolina undoubtedly will deserve a failing grade.