'Born-alive' abortion bill wins final passage in North Carolina

RALEIGH — North Carolina’s legislature gave final passage Tuesday to a bill to require doctors and nurses to care for babies born alive during a failed late-term abortion or face big penalties, a measure opponents deemed legally unnecessary and a threat to abortion providers.

House lawmakers followed a day after Senate counterparts in approving the bill, which would mean prison time and big fines for medical practitioners who don’t give children born despite a botched abortion the same protections as any other newborn.

A spokeswoman for Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper criticized the measure last week, raising expectations he would veto the legislation. Cooper’s office did not respond Tuesday when asked whether the governor planned to veto the bill.

Republicans speaking in favor of the measure said it had nothing to do with abortion. The aim was protecting an infant if a late-term abortion was botched and the baby was born breathing and with a beating heart, said Republican Rep. Pat McElraft of Carteret County.

Read more: https://www.fayobserver.com/news/20190417/born-alive-abortion-bill-wins-final-passage-in-nc