Abortion

Pat McCrory On Abortion

Highlights:

McCrory Called Himself “Extremely Pro-Life”

McCrory Called Himself “Extremely Pro-Life”

2013: McCrory Called Himself “Extremely Pro-Life.” According to the Wilson Times, “McCrory reiterated that he is ‘extremely pro-life’ Wednesday, but said he is stepping on the toes of conservatives and those who are liberal also by pushing for changes in the bill. ‘We specifically mentioned some changes – we believe in increasing some standards – we want to make sure some standards don’t overreach or deny access,’ McCrory said in an interview with The Times after his breakfast with Wells Fargo executives and local farmers.” [Wilson Times, 7/11/13]

2021: An Adviser To McCrory’s Senate Campaign Stated That McCrory Is Pro-Life. According to the Charlotte Observer, “An adviser to former Gov. Pat McCrory’s Senate campaign said McCrory is pro-life and ‘his positions on these issues are well-known and well-vetted.’” [Charlotte Observer, 9/5/21]

On His Campaign Website, McCrory Listed The Sanctity Of Life, Protecting Religious Freedom, And Supporting Conservative Judges As Aspects Of His Platform. [McCrory’s campaign website, accessed 1/19/22]

In His First Year As Governor, McCrory Broke His Pledge To Not Implement Any Additional Abortion Restrictions 

2012: McCrory Said If Elected Governor, he Would Not Implement Any Additional Abortion Restrictions

2012: McCrory Said If He Was Elected Governor, He Would Not Sign Any New Abortion Restrictions. According to the News & Observer, “McCrory said in the final debate of his 2012 gubernatorial campaign that he wouldn't sign new abortion regulations, but the Republican-controlled legislature has followed up new restrictions in 2011 with a series of measures this year, most recently a bill to broaden protections for medical professionals who refuse to participate in an abortion…Kim Genardo, McCrory's communications director, wouldn't say what McCrory might do regarding abortion measures. ‘The governor has signed 24 bills into law dealing with issues such as education and safety,’ Genardo said. ‘Nothing has landed on his desk concerning abortion-related measures. When and if that happens, he will make the decision at that time.’” [News & Observer, 4/21/13]

McCrory Reversed His Promise Not To Sign Any Further Abortion Restrictions Soon After Taking Office

April 2013: McCrory Would Not Say If He Would Stick To His Promise Not To Sign Any New Abortion Restrictions. According to the News & Observer, “McCrory said in the final debate of his 2012 gubernatorial campaign that he wouldn't sign new abortion regulations, but the Republican-controlled legislature has followed up new restrictions in 2011 with a series of measures this year, most recently a bill to broaden protections for medical professionals who refuse to participate in an abortion…Kim Genardo, McCrory's communications director, wouldn't say what McCrory might do regarding abortion measures. ‘The governor has signed 24 bills into law dealing with issues such as education and safety,’ Genardo said. ‘Nothing has landed on his desk concerning abortion-related measures. When and if that happens, he will make the decision at that time.’” [News & Observer, 4/21/13]

July 2013: McCrory Signed Legislation Which Restricted Abortion

McCrory Signed The Anti-Abortion Bill Into Law. According to WRAL, “Gov. Pat McCrory signed 18 bills Monday, including two of the more controversial of the recently ended legislative session – those dealing with gun rights and abortion clinics. Supporters of Senate Bill 353, including the governor, have said it is about raising safety standards among the doctors and clinics that perform abortions.” [WRAL, 7/29/13]

McCrory Signed Legislation Holding Abortion Clinics To The Same Standards As Those For Outpatient Surgical Facilities. According to WRAL “The state Department of Health and Human Services suspended Femcare’s license last summer, citing safety violations. The clinic closed, then reopened. The suspension came days after Gov. Pat McCrory signed legislation that directed state officials to regulate abortion clinics based on the same standards as those for outpatient surgical centers.” [WRAL, 6/28/14]

McCrory Contended That The Law Did Not Restrict Access, But Made Abortion Practices Safer

McCrory Claimed Signing The Clinic Regulation Abortion Bill Would Not Violate His Campaign Promise Not To Sign Any New Abortion Restrictions. According to WNCN, “Gov. Pat McCrory said he would not be breaking a campaign promise if he signs legislation establishing new rules for North Carolina abortion clinics. During last fall's campaign, McCrory made it clear he was not interested in signing additional abortion restrictions into law. During a televised debate last October, McCrory was asked which additional abortion restrictions he would agree to sign into law. McCrory responded simply, ‘None.’ […] After the threat of veto, House leaders adjusted the Senate's language with input from McCrory's top health agency administrator. The changes, McCrory said, meet his satisfaction. ‘I will veto [the Senate's bill] if it's passed, because I believe the initial Senate bill did deny more access, which is a campaign commitment that I said wouldn't let happen,’ McCrory said Thursday. ‘We then revised the bill in the House.’” [WNCN, 7/18/13]

McCrory: “This Law Does Not Further Limit Access, And Those Who Contend It Does Are More Interested In Politics Than The Health And Safety Of Our Citizens.” According to WRAL, “Abortion-rights advocates say that provisions of the law, such as excluding abortion coverage from health plans offered to city and county employees, would further limit the availability of and access to the procedure statewide. They argue that, in signing the measure, McCrory is breaking a campaign promise not to allow any further limits on abortion rights. ‘This law does not further limit access, and those who contend it does are more interested in politics than the health and safety of our citizens,’ McCrory said Monday.” [WRAL, 7/29/13]

McCrory’s Legislation Resulted In The Closure Of Western North Carolina’s Only Abortion Clinic

July 2013: North Carolina Suspended The License Of The Only Abortion Clinic In Western North Carolina. According to the Winston-Salem Journal, “An Asheville abortion clinic had its license suspended by the N.C. Department of Health and Human Services on Wednesday over what the agency called violations of existing rules. A statement issued by the department said the violations discovered by inspectors revealed a threat to the health and safety of patients. The clinic, FEMCare of Asheville is Western North Carolina’s only provider of surgical abortions, The Asheville Citizen-Times reported Wednesday night. It is also the only clinic in the state that meets the standards of an ambulatory surgical center, according to the newspaper. The suspension comes two days after Gov. Pat McCrory signed into law legislation that would let DHHS require that abortion clinics meet the standards of an outpatient surgical center. The latest action by DHHS was based on its current authority under existing law.” [Winston-Salem Journal, 7/31/13] 

June 2014: Femcare, The Only Abortion Clinic In Western North Carolina, Shut Down. According to the Washington Times, “The only abortion clinic in western North Carolina is shutting down, leaving the region without service for at least six months. The Asheville Citizen-Times reports Femcare will close Saturday. A spokeswoman confirmed the closure, but declined further comment. Dr. Lorraine Cummings, who owns the business and is its sole physician, put the building up for sale in March. The clinic opened in 1985 near downtown Asheville, and has been the city’s only provider of abortion services for years. The closest providers of abortion services are now in Charlotte, which is 130 miles southeast of Asheville, and Greenville, South Carolina, which is about 65 miles south of the city. The state Department of Health and Human Services suspended Femcare’s license last summer, citing safety violations. The clinic closed, then reopened.” [Washington Times, 6/28/14] 

Media Outlets Immediately Criticized McCrory For Breaking His Promise Not To Sign New Abortion Restrictions Into LAw

Charlotte Observer Editorial: “Gov. McCrory, These Are Clearly Further Restrictions On Abortions – The Kind Of Legislation You Pledged On The Campaign Trail You Would Not Sign– And They Have Little To Do With Ensuring A Woman’s Safety.” According to a staff editorial in the Charlotte Observer, “The House bill still makes it harder and more costly for abortions to be performed, and makes access more difficult. It requires doctors to remain present for an entire surgical abortion. The physician also must be present when a woman takes the first dose for a chemically induced abortion. It also blocks any money from the online health insurance marketplace set up under the federal Affordable Care Act from going to fund abortions, and says abortions may not be included in county or city employee health plans. Gov. McCrory, these are clearly further restrictions on abortions – the kind of legislation you pledged on the campaign trail you would not sign – and they have little to do with ensuring a woman’s safety.” [Charlotte Observer, 7/12/13]

News & Record Editorial: McCrory Should “Man Up” And Veto The Abortion Bill. According to a staff editorial in the News & Record, “To your credit, you did threaten to veto the abortion bill if significant changes weren’t made. But now minor modifications (which are mostly cosmetic) give you the opportunity to wriggle out of that ultimatum. Don’t take it. Stand fast. Draw a line. Man up. They may not like that but they’ll respect it. And so will the voters.” [News & Record, 7/14/13]

WRAL HEADLINE: “Abortion Law Breaks McCrory Promise.” According to WRAL, “Raleigh, N.C. — During an Oct. 24, 2012, debate, WRAL News reporter Laura Leslie asked soon-to-be Gov. Pat McCrory the following: ‘If you are elected governor, what further restrictions on abortion would you agree to sign?’ McCrory's one-word reply: ‘None.’ So when McCrory signed a package of changes to the state's abortion laws Monday, did he break that campaign pledge?  […] He can certainly lay claim to influencing the course of the bill through the legislature and demanding changes that made the measure somewhat less strict than originally introduced. However, there are still provisions in the measure that would limit the availability of abortion for some women. Given the absolute nature of his promise, by signing Senate Bill 353, he broke that promise.” [WRAL, 7/29/13]

2013: McCrory Signed Legislation Banning Abortion Coverage By Some Insurance Plans With Few Exceptions

McCrory Signed Legislation Banning Abortion Coverage By Some Insurance Plans

2013: McCrory Signed Legislation Banning Abortion Coverage By Some Insurance Plans But Made Exceptions For Cases Of Rape, Incest, And To Save The Life Of The Mother. According to USA Today, “North Carolina Gov. Pat McCrory on Monday signed into law a measure directing state officials to regulate abortion clinics based on the same standards as those for outpatient surgical centers, a change that critics say will force most to close. […]The law also prohibits abortions for gender selection and allows any health care provider to opt out of participating in abortions, extending that option beyond doctors and nurses. The measure also prohibits abortion coverage in insurance plans offered by cities, counties or the online marketplace for private policies being established under the federal health overhaul law. Abortions would be allowed if a pregnancy were the result of rape or incest, or to save the life of the mother.” [USA Today, 7/29/13]

2015: McCrory Extended North Carolina’s Abortion Waiting Period To 72 Hours

McCrory Extended North Carolina’s Abortion Waiting Period To 72 Hours

McCrory Signed A Bill That Extended The Abortion Waiting Period And Required Clinics To Report Some Second Trimester Abortions

June 2015: McCrory Signed A Bill Into Law That Extended North Carolina’s Abortion Waiting Period To 72 Hours. According to WXII12.com, “Gov. Pat McCrory says he has signed legislation that makes North Carolina one of several states with 72-hour waiting periods for an abortion. […] The abortion bill requires women to talk to a doctor or other qualified professional 72 hours before having an abortion, unless there's a medical emergency. The bill adds other rules for doctors and clinics that perform abortions and includes several unrelated criminal justice measures.” [WXII12.com, 6/6/15]

McCrory Waffled On The Bill For Months

McCrory Declined To Comment On A Bill That Would Put Further Restrictions On Abortions Performed In North Carolina. According to NBC - 17 WNCN, “Gov. Pat McCrory declined to comment Thursday on a bill that would make significant changes to North Carolina’s abortion laws. House Bill 465 was referred to the House Health Committee on Thursday. If passed, the bill would change certain restrictions on abortions, including increasing the waiting period to get an abortion from 24 hours to 72 hours. The bill further requires the procedure be done by a licensed obstetrician or gynecologist, and it would ban abortions at the medical schools at the University of North Carolina and East Carolina or facilities owned by them. ‘I think these are common sense measures to protect women who are going through a very difficult time,’ said Rep. Susan Martin, R Wilson County, who co-sponsored the legislation along with three other House lawmakers. The bill also says no one would be required to perform an abortion if they object to the practice on moral, ethical or religious grounds.” [NBC - 17 WNCN, 4/2/15]

Abortion Rights Groups Called On McCrory To Veto The Bill 

Democrats Called On McCrory To “Move On” From Social Issues Like Abortion And North Carolina’s RFRA And Refocus On Economic Development And Jobs. According to WRAL, “As the House prepared Thursday morning to debate one of the nation's longest waiting periods for abortion, Democrats called for Republican leaders, including Gov. Pat McCrory, to refocus on economic development and jobs and ‘move on’ from social issues such as abortion and the Religious Freedom Restoration Act.” [WRAL, 4/23/15]

Abortion Rights Activists Rallied In Asheville, Calling On McCrory To Veto New Abortion Legislation Should It Reach His Desk. According to the Associated Press, “Abortion-rights advocates returned to the Executive Mansion on Monday to urge North Carolina Gov. Pat McCrory to veto a bill, should it reach his desk, that would extend the waiting period for the procedure from 24 to 72 hours. Representatives of Planned Parenthood Action Fund in North Carolina, NARAL Pro-Choice North Carolina and other groups held a news conference across the street from the governor's house, close to where they demonstrated two years ago about an abortion-related bill that McCrory ultimately signed.” [Associated Press, 5/11/15]

NARAL Pro-Choice North Carolina, Planned Parenthood, And Progress North Carolina Urged McCrory To Pledge To Veto An Abortion Bill Making Its Way Through The Legislature. According to the Citizen-Times, “Abortion rights groups are planning to rally in Pack Square Park Monday evening to call on the governor to veto pending abortion legislation. The public is invited to attend. Activities are set to begin at 5:30 p.m. at the amphitheater near Roger McGuire Green, 60 Court Plaza. NARAL Pro-Choice North Carolina, Planned Parenthood South Atlantic Action Fund and Progress North Carolina Action are planning the demonstration. Their efforts are part of a multi-stop tour throughout the state. The groups are urging Governor Pat McCrory to publicly pledge to veto House Bill 465 and other restrictions that they believe would limit a woman's right to choose.” [Citizen-Times, 5/3/15]

McCrory Justified Signing The Bill By Saying A Longer Waiting Period Was Not A Restriction

McCrory Argued That He Did Not Break His Campaign Promise Because The Longer Waiting Period Was Not A New Restriction. According to the News & Observer, “McCrory said Thursday that his decision was consistent with the promise he made by working with legislators over the past few months to make sure the bill didn’t include provisions that would have denied women further access to abortions. He said increasing the waiting time from 24 to 72 hours is not a new restriction, since the period can begin with a phone call and not a visit to the clinic. He compared it to making other medical appointments.” [News & Observer, 6/5/15]

McCrory Said That The Waiting Period Could Be Started By Calling A Center And Equated It To Scheduling Other Medical Procedures. According to WRAL, “‘It takes a phone call to begin that process,’ he said of the waiting period. ‘Frankly, that (is the) process a lot of people use for all medical procedures. ‘The fact of the matter is, due to my work and others’ work, we did not add further restrictions to access,’ he added. McCrory was referring to a provision dropped before the bill made it through the Senate that would have prevented anyone other than a board-certified ob-gyn from performing an abortion. Fewer than two-thirds of North Carolina's 100 counties have certified a ob-gyn.” [WRAL, 6/5/15]

McCrory Was Hostile To Planned Parenthood

McCrory Signed A Budget That Eliminated State Funding For Planned Parenthood And Family Planning Clinics

2015: The Budget McCrory Signed Into Law Included A Provision That Eliminated State Funding For Planned Parenthood And Family Planning Clinics. to an opinion to the News & Observer by Linda Darnell Williams, “The state budget, approved by the legislature last week and signed by Gov. Pat McCrory, includes a provision that banned giving new state funds or renewing contracts to groups that provide family planning and pregnancy prevention if those groups also provide abortions. The provision was inserted in the budget at the last minute and became law without debate. At the time, no lawmaker took credit for the budget provision, but Sen. Chad Barefoot, a Wake County Republican, sponsored a bill that would make the two-year budget provision permanent. Although not mentioned by name, the move is clearly aimed at Planned Parenthood and affects about $135,000 in state funds for the group’s teen pregnancy prevention initiative in Fayetteville, as well as the adolescent parenting program in Wilmington that has a good track record for preventing repeat pregnancies among teen parents and helping them graduate high school.” [Linda Darnell Williams, Opinion – News & Observer, 9/24/15]

McCrory Signed Legislation That Required Students To Be Taught Medical Misinformation About Abortion

McCrory Signed Legislation That Required Students To Be Taught That Abortions Increased The Risk Of Premature Child Birth

McCrory Signed Legislation That Required Teaching Public Students About A Link Between Abortions And Pre-Term Births Later In Life. According to the Miami Herald, “North Carolina Gov. Pat McCrory has signed into law a requirement teaching public school children there's a link between abortion and pre-term births later in life. The measure was among 43 bills McCrory signed Thursday. One adds instruction about abortion risks to mandatory public health curriculum starting in seventh grade. The law says schools must teach preventable pre-term birth risk factors including induced abortion, smoking, alcohol and drug use among others. Bill opponents said there's not clear scientific evidence linking abortion and later preterm birth.” [Miami Herald, 7/18/13]

McCrory Said He Supported A Bill To Teach Middle School Children That Abortion Increases The Risk Of Premature Birth. According to the News & Observer, “He’s also in favor of requiring middle-school students be taught that abortion is a risk factor for premature births. His remarks prompted NARAL Pro-Choice North Carolina to issue a statement Saturday criticizing McCrory for his stance on SB 132, the classroom abortion bill. During the campaign for office, McCrory flatly said he would not support any new restrictions on abortion.” [News & Observer, 6/29/13]

Modern Procedures Made Risk Of Premature Birth After Having Had An Abortion “All But Zero”

A British Study Found That In The Past, Women Who Had An Abortion Increased Their Risk Of A Premature Birth Later In Life, But That With Modern Procedures, That Risk Is All But Zero. According to the Los Angeles Times, “In a finding likely to reignite debate over proposed new limits on abortion, British researchers have found that years ago, women who terminated a pregnancy increased their risk of giving birth prematurely in subsequent pregnancies, but that with modern procedures the danger has all but vanished.” [Los Angeles Times, 7/9/13]

Many Studies Found No Link At All Between Abortions And Premature Births

Other Studies Found No Link At All Between Abortions And Premature Births. According to TIME, “Many other studies have found no clear link at all. Perhaps that’s because different study populations, taken from all over the world, involved different risk factors for premature birth; or it may be simply that the sample sizes in some studies were too small to pick up relatively small differences between women who had had abortions and those who had not.” [TIME, 10/18/07]

McCrory And His Staff Were Condescending To Abortion Rights Advocates

McCrory Gave A Plate Of Cookies To Abortion Bill Protesters

McCrory Gave A Plate Of Cookies To Abortion Bill Protesters. According to the Charlotte Observer, “Gov. Pat McCrory hasn't been willing to meet with the women (and a few men) protesting an abortion bill that opponents say restricts access to safe abortions. But he did stop by Tuesday afternoon with a plate of chocolate chip cookies. McCrory was flanked by four security guards as he came out of the mansion gates. Before stepping onto common ground with the protesters – he went as far as the middle of the street between his mansion and the vigil – McCrory pointed directly at Jamie Sohn, a Chapel Hill resident. ‘I was like, ‘Me?’ and he nodded,’ she said during an interview shortly after.” [Charlotte Observer, 7/30/13]

McCrory’s Staffers Gave Protesters Three Slices Of Cake. According to the News & Observer, “Tuesday evening, several hours after Gov. Pat McCrory gave cookies to women protesting the state's new abortion law, Madison and her mother, Mary Kimrey, came to the Governor's Mansion to protest with several Occupy Raleigh members. Around 10:30 p.m., a staff member came out of the mansion to shut the doors. ‘We were like, ‘Hey, those cookies were really good, could we have some brownies,’ joking and everything’ at the staff member, Madison said. (The afternoon protesters had returned the cookies uneaten.) She said the person laughed, went back inside and then came out with three slices of cake in to-go containers.” [News & Observer, 7/31/13]

News Outlets Criticized McCrory’s Gesture Towards Protesters

News & Observer Editorial: McCrory’s Cookie Stunt Should Go Into “The Pat McCrory Hall Of Shame.” According to a staff editorial in the News & Observer, “On Tuesday, McCrory emerged from the Executive Mansion flanked by security guards and handed a plate of chocolate chip cookies to a woman summoned from a group of protesters. The protesters were across the street from the mansion to object to a new law signed by McCrory that imposes burdensome requirements on abortion clinics and will likely reduce women’s access to abortion. The cookie exchange was captured in a photo by Irene Godinez, public affairs director for Planned Parenthood Health Systems. It should go into the N.C. Journalism Hall of Fame, or the Pat McCrory Hall of Shame.” [News & Observer, 7/31/13]

Fannie Flono Op-Ed: McCrory’s Cookie Stunt Came Across As “Demeaning, Dismissive And Disdainful.” In an op-ed, Fannie Flono wrote, “Whatever the governor’s intentions, someone – maybe a female on his staff – should have dissuaded him from the cookie exchange. While he was having an open-minded conversation with those protesters about their differences on these matters, refreshments would have been appropriate. But as a substitute for a discussion, the offer came off as demeaning, dismissive and disdainful.” [Charlotte Observer, 8/1/13]