{"id":1206,"date":"2026-05-28T15:05:19","date_gmt":"2026-05-28T15:05:19","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/durhammovinghub.com\/?p=1206"},"modified":"2026-05-28T15:05:19","modified_gmt":"2026-05-28T15:05:19","slug":"nc-abortion-bill-inspired-a-backlash-why-its-unlikely-to-move-forward-now-2","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/durhammovinghub.com\/?p=1206","title":{"rendered":"NC abortion bill inspired a backlash. Why it\u2019s unlikely to move forward now"},"content":{"rendered":"

AI-generated summary reviewed by our newsroom.<\/p>\n

Read our AI Policy.<\/a><\/p>\n

While a proposed state bill could give voters a chance in November to enshrine stricter abortion laws into the North Carolina Constitution, previous attempts to pass similar legislation have hit dead ends.<\/p>\n

Read more NC may make it easier to throw out ballots over missing ID. How you can weigh in<\/a><\/p>\n

Rep. Keith Kidwell, a Beaufort County Republican, filed House Bill 1232<\/a> earlier this month. If it passes, voters would be asked if they are for or against a \u201cconstitutional amendment to recognize that a distinct and separate human life begins at the moment of fertilization, and this individual person is entitled to the protection of the laws of the State from the moment of fertilization until the moment of natural death.\u201d<\/p>\n

The bill would create a constitutional amendment stating that since life begins at fertilization, that life is protected by state laws. This means people \u201cwillfully\u201d seeking to end that life through abortion or other means \u201cshall be held accountable for attempted murder or for first-degree murder, respectively.\u201d<\/p>\n

That amendment would be put to voters in November, if the bill were to become law.<\/p>\n

The bill has been sent to the Rules Committee. Kidwell, who lost his primary election<\/a> in March, has filed similar bills year after year, and the bills have seen very little movement through the state legislature.<\/p>\n

In 2025, House Speaker Destin Hall said the Republican caucus was not interested<\/a> in hearing a similar bill<\/a> that was also filed by Kidwell. It would have banned abortion after conception with no exceptions, other than to preserve the mother\u2019s life.<\/p>\n

Rep. Ben Moss, a Rockingham Republican, initially was listed as a sponsor for the bill.<\/p>\n

Moss on Tuesday posted to social media<\/a> saying he decided to remove himself as a sponsor after \u201cfurther discussion and feedback from constituents and members of the community.\u201d<\/p>\n

He said he is still anti-abortion and that the legislation was meant to \u201caffirm the value and dignity of unborn life \u2014 not to suggest that women should face capital punishment or to create uncertainty surrounding difficult medical situations.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHowever, I also believe legislation must be written with absolutely clarity so that its intent cannot be misunderstood or broadly misinterpreted in ways that create fear and confusion,\u201d Moss posted.<\/p>\n

A phone call to Kidwell on Wednesday was not returned.<\/p>\n

Rep. Julie von Haefen, an Apex Democrat, also posted to social media<\/a> on Tuesday, saying that people should \u201cplease calm down.\u201d<\/p>\n

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She said Kidwell\u2019s bills never get a hearing or vote and are often referred to the House\u2019s Rules Committee, \u201ca place I am very familiar with since most of my bills go there to die.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIt is the place bills go when leadership never intends to take them up,\u201d she said. \u201cSo, I have faith that this bill won\u2019t ever see the light of day.\u201d<\/p>\n

Von Haefen said the bill is a distraction from other bills being voted on and passed, including multiple constitutional amendments<\/a> concerning unions<\/a> and taxes,<\/a> at least some of which will be on the ballot for North Carolinians to weigh.<\/p>\n

She said the amendments \u201care being used to drive conservative voter turnout.\u201d<\/p>\n

Samantha Heller is the communications coordinator for Interfaith Voices for Reproductive Freedom, which represents 14 Jewish, Christian and Unitarian Universalist congregations in North Carolina and advocates for reproductive freedom<\/p>\n

She said it\u2019s \u201cscary\u201d and \u201chorrifying\u201d that the bill is being normalized.<\/p>\n

Heller added that the organization is frustrated \u201cbecause I think the more media attention it gets, it\u2019s sort of detracting from this more likely outcome which is that other bills being introduced by Republicans right now become law and really permanently damage our state\u2019s ability to support healthy mothers, healthy babies and reproductive choice in the state.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThese bills just become more and more extreme, but at the end of the day, we\u2019re really trying to focus our member congregation\u2019s attention on more imminent threats that we see to public health funding,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

In 2023, when House and Senate Republicans were working to restrict the state\u2019s then-law of allowing abortion through 20 weeks of pregnancy, Kidwell filed a bill<\/a> making abortion illegal at any stage, unless the mother\u2019s life was at risk.<\/p>\n

That same year, the joint Republican caucus settled on a bill that banned abortion after 12 weeks<\/a> of pregnancy with several exceptions, including rape and incest, a fetal anomaly or a medical emergency. A spokesperson for then-House Speaker Tim Moore said Kidwell\u2019s bill did not reflect the work or consensus of the group\u2019s discussion.<\/p>\n

Hall in 2025 said the 2023 legislation was a \u201creally landmark pro-life\u201d bill, and that it would take more time to see how it\u2019s working before any changes would be warranted.<\/p>\n

Read more Ross Matthews Reflects on 4 Years of Marriage to Husband: \u2018I Feel Very Safe’<\/a><\/p>\n

This story was originally published May 27, 2026 at 4:38 PM.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The bill would ask North Carolina voters to recognize life at fertilization, but similar bills have stalled and sponsors have withdrawn amid criticism.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":1205,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1206","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-read-todays-edition"],"yoast_head":"\nNC abortion bill inspired a backlash. 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