North Carolina lawmakers pass 12-week abortion ban; governor vows veto
CBSN
North Carolina lawmakers on Thursday approved a ban on nearly all abortions after 12 weeks of pregnancy, down from the current 20 weeks, in response to last year's overturning of Roe v. Wade at the U.S. Supreme Court.
The ban is one of the least onerous of a slew of bills Republican-led assemblies have pushed through in recent months since the high court stripped away women's constitutional protections for abortion. Other states have banned the procedure nearly completely or throughout pregnancy.
Nonetheless, the 29-20 vote by the Senate was met with loud cries of "Abortion rights now!" from about 100 observers who had crowded into the gallery to watch the debate. Police quickly cleared the area, but protesters could still be heard yelling "Shame!" from outside the closed doors.
