CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Since the overturn of Roe v. Wade, North Carolina is one of few states in the South where abortions are legal for up to 20 weeks, but in a press conference with fellow Democrats, Attorney General Josh Stein says that could change depending on which party leads the state after the November elections.
Stein said more than 30% of people making appointments at abortion facilities in North Carolina are from out of state. Wednesday, the attorney general vowed to continue fighting to protect laws allowing them to do so.
“I have a message for the woman of North Carolina -- no matter what the Supreme Court said in the DOBS case, you have a legal right to an abortion here in this state," Stein said.
Stein was joined by two other elected leaders and a doctor in Wednesday's news conference as he voiced concerns abortion rights could be at stake come November elections. North Carolina is one of a few states in the region with the least restrictive abortion laws.
“North Carolina currently stands as a safe haven in the South, but we need to fight to keep it that way," U.S. Congresswoman Deborah Ross said.
States are individually deciding abortion laws since the overturning of Roe v. Wade. This week in Kansas, it was the people, not elected officials, who got to choose.
Kansas is the first state since the overturning of Roe v. Wade to run a referendum to put the question of abortion on ballots. Even though Kansas is a conservative state, people overwhelmingly voted to uphold abortion rights.
Contact Indira Eskieva at ieskieva@wcnc.com and follow her on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.