Women’s Reproductive Freedom & Privacy

Immediately after the U.S. Supreme Court’s overturn of Roe v. Wade which denied federal abortion protections and gave states the power to establish their own laws, I sponsored and filed HB 1119, to ensure that the rights under Roe v. Wade would be codified in N.C. law. Republican leaders refused to allow any hearing or discussion of my bill this summer, but my intent remains clear - we must protect the right to abortion and honor people’s ability to make their own health care decisions. 

The Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization decision has resulted in chaos across the country. Now 50 states will have 50 varying laws. North Carolina’s Republican leadership has vowed that in 2023, they will further restrict access to abortion in North Carolina. Some extremist Republicans want to pass legislation that defines life begins at the moment of conception, and anyone assisting with an abortion could be charged with murder, regardless if the health of the mother is in danger or the fetus is not viable. To stop this we must elect Democrats who value reproductive rights over politics and religious beliefs. 

Legislators have no business denying fundamental personal freedoms and intervening in doctor-patient relationships. I will do everything possible to safeguard reproductive rights and other fundamental rights like contraception and gay marriage that may now be in jeopardy with the U.S. Supreme Court . We must  concentrate our efforts to do more to care for children and families by expanding Medicaid.