North Carolina governor vetoes 12-week abortion ban, GOP lawmakers vow override

North Carolina Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper vetoed legislation that would ban most abortions in the state after 12 weeks, but the Republican supermajority in the legislature vowed to override the veto to make the bill into law. 

When issuing the veto Saturday, Cooper said the legislation would "create dangerous interference with the doctor-patient relationship" and would "make abortion unavailable to many women."

The Republican-led state Senate bill known as the "Care for Women, Children, and Families Act" would ban abortions after 12 weeks, with exceptions for rape, incest, medical emergencies and severe fetal anomalies. 

"Gov. Cooper has spent the last week actively feeding the public lies about Senate Bill 20 and bullying members of the General Assembly," GOP State Senate Leader Phil Berger said after Cooper's veto. "He has been doing everything he can, including wasting taxpayer money on poorly attended events, to avoid talking about his own extreme views on abortion. I look forward to promptly overriding his veto."

The state House speaker issued a similar message. 

"Governor Cooper has spent the past week, including Mother’s Day weekend, spreading misinformation about SB 20 in an effort to frighten voters and appease campaign donors," Republican Speaker Tim Moore said. "The truth is, the Care for Women, Children, and Families Act will save unborn lives, protect women, and support families. His veto will be swiftly overridden."

Madeleine Hubbard is an international correspondent for Just the News. Follow her on Twitter or Instagram.