North Carolina Republicans override Democratic governor and put 12-week abortion ban into effect



Republican lawmakers in North Carolina dealt a crushing blow Tuesday evening to pro-abortion radicals, overriding Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper's veto of a pro-life bill.

Whereas before, North Carolina permitted abortions well into the second trimester, the lethal procedure is now prohibited after 12 weeks.

TheBlaze previously indicated that the law allows various exceptions — abortions are permitted through 20 weeks for pregnancies resultant of rape or incest and during the first 24 weeks if the baby has a "life-limiting anomaly."

The law also protects abortion survivors; protects unborn babies from discrimination based on sex, race, or Down syndrome; ensures women are not rushed or coerced into unwanted abortions; and provides $160 million in support for children, families, and maternal health, including $75 million to expand access to child care.

Cooper vetoed Senate Bill 20 Saturday, claiming that the measure's "fine-print requirements" as well as "restrictions will shut down clinics and make abortion completely unavailable to many women at any time, causing desperation and death."

The Democratic governor was counting on "just one Republican in either the House or the Senate" to cave to intimidation by pro-abortion radicals and other leftists' demands, reported CNN.

To Cooper's dissatisfaction, Republican lawmakers held fast, including former Democratic state Rep. Tricia Cotham, who switched parties in April, thereby giving the GOP the supermajority it needed in the state House to quash the veto.

Cotham stressed that "this bill strikes a reasonable balance."

Hours after the state Senate voted 30-20 to override Cooper's veto on Tuesday, the House voted 72-48 along party lines.

Protesters chanted "shame" after Republican lawmakers advanced the democratic will of the people:
\u201cThese are the moments right after the house passed the override of @NC_Governor veto on #SB20. Bill will now become law #abc11 #ncpol\u201d
— Josh Chapin (@Josh Chapin) 1684278904

After Republicans unanimously trampled Cooper's veto, Michael Whatley, chairman of the North Carolina GOP, stated, "The voters of North Carolina have rejected the radical abortion-on-demand position of Roy Cooper, Josh Stein, and the Democrat Party."

"I commend our Republican-led General Assembly for overriding Gov. Cooper's veto of this balanced and widely-supported legislation and moving forward to protect life in North Carolina," added Whatley.

North Carolina Lieutenant Gov. Mark Robinson said he was "glad to see Republicans in the NC House and Senate stand strong and override the Governor's veto," noting that they have "taken a stand to create a culture of life in North Carolina."

Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life America celebrated the win, stating, "The Care for Women, Children and Families Act protecting unborn children at 12 weeks is now law in North Carolina following supermajority votes to override Gov. Roy Cooper’s veto. According to a Differentiator Data poll, 62% of North Carolinians support protecting babies at 12 weeks, with 68% of Unaffiliated voters and 61% of women supporting."

The pro-life advocacy group's president, Marjorie Dannenfelser, said "The battleground state of North Carolina has taken a major step forward in the fight for life. By defying Gov. Cooper’s bully tactics and standing for the will of the people, the General Assembly modeled great courage on the issue of life."

Cooper said in a statement, "North Carolinians now understand that Republicans are unified in their assault on women's reproductive freedom and we are energized to fight back on this."

This pro-life victory comes just ahead of a possible resolution in South Carolina, where the state House is presently fine-tuning a six-week abortion ban, which will go to a final vote on Wednesday, reported the Associated Press.

Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!

Preschool uses flashcards depicting pregnant man to teach children about colors: Report



A North Carolina preschool teacher reportedly used LGBTQ+ flashcards to teach children about colors, Fox News has reported. One of the cards, according to the report, included a photo of a pregnant man.

What are the details?

North Carolina Speaker of the House Tim Moore (R) published the findings on his website, where he wrote that the flashcards appeared at Ballentine Elementary School in Wake County, North Carolina.

Republican State Rep. Erin Paré — who said she received a photo of the flashcards from one of her constituents — blasted the move, and said that public schools should only be using "age-appropriate materials."

"[T]hese flashcards clearly do not meet that standard for a pre-school classroom," Paré insisted.

According to the report, Paré reached out to the school to determine the photos' authenticity and learned that the principal would take "swift action" in investigating their origin. Upon investigation, Moore's website pointed out, the administrator located the flashcards inside the unnamed teacher's classroom.

"The principal confirmed that the flashcards were not part of approved curriculum and that she was unaware that they were being used," Moore's website added. "The principal immediately took possession of the cards, contacted the WCPSS area superintendent, and engaged human resources. The principal expressed appreciation for the constituent’s information via Rep. Paré, as she would not have known about the flashcards otherwise."

\u201cFlash Cards Depicting Pregnant Man Used in WCPSS Preschool Classroom in House District 37 https://t.co/KpnbngXMrv via @ErinforNC #ncpol #ncga\u201d
— Speaker Tim Moore (@Speaker Tim Moore) 1653683767

What else?

In a further statement on the incident, Paré said, “I am grateful that a concerned constituent reached out and that this issue is being addressed in a swift and professional manner by Ballentine Elementary School."

“Schools should only be using age-appropriate materials, and these flashcards clearly do not meet that standard for a pre-school classroom. I hope schools across Wake County and the State of North Carolina will follow the example of Ballentine and respond swiftly when a parent expresses concern and ensure that materials like this are not being used to teach young students," she added.

Report: HS student suspended after she reported sexual assault — and the school is now making her take a sexual harassment prevention course



A North Carolina high school suspended one of its students late last month after the student told school officials that she had been sexually assaulted multiple times on campus, according to a local news report.

What happened?

The student, a 15-year-old sophomore at Hawthorne Academy of Health Sciences in Charlotte, told WBTV-TV recently that she had been routinely harassed by a male student at the school.

But when she reported the harassment to school officials, the school reportedly responded by suspending her and requiring her to take a class called "Sexual Harassment Is Preventable."

"He would, like, come into the bathroom and he would push me into the stall," the student, whose identity is being protected, recalled in an interview with the news outlet. "He put his hands in my pants and then he was, like, touching my breasts."

After hearing about the allegations, school officials reportedly contacted police. The Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department then conducted an investigation that resulted in charges against the male suspect for sexual battery in connection with the incidents described by the female student.

But the school resolved to also conduct its own investigation and, in the end, concluded that there was no evidence that any crime was committed. The school responded by suspending the student for filing a false report.

A CMS student reported being sexually assaulted. Then she was suspended www.youtube.com

What else?

The girl's mother, whose identity is also being protected, expressed outrage at the school during an interview with WBTV.

"The school did their investigation, gave me a phone call, and said, 'Hey, look, unfortunately, it looks like there's no evidence that what your daughter's saying took place did. We're gonna have to give her a day of suspension,'" she told the outlet.

"I said, 'Well if the police are telling me that he did do these things, he admitted to them, and that I have the right to press charges, you're telling me this didn't happen?' And she said, 'Well, unfortunately, what the law does has nothing to do with CMS, so, unfortunately, we have nothing else that we can do about this,'" the mother continued.

She said the incident has left her and her daughter in shock and feeling like the school doesn't have an interest in protecting its students.

"They are making her feel like she is being punished for coming forward," she added.

Anything else?

WBTV reported that it has sent multiple emails to school and district officials seeking comment on the story, but those requests have largely been met with silence.

"District leaders review assertions of Title IX reporting problems and will take appropriate action in the event any review reveals action is necessary," a district spokesman said in the lone email statement included in the outlet's report.

Reporters for the outlet have also tried to question board members in person but have been stonewalled.

Yesterday we reported on a @CharMeckSchools student who was suspended after reporting a sexual assault (Story https://bit.ly/3BE12Ym\u00a0)\n\nToday we tried to ask CMS board members @MargaretMarsh84 @elysedashew @JenniferforCMS if that was acceptable. They wouldn't answer #ncpol #ncedpic.twitter.com/skPxWC3VAT

— Nick Ochsner (@NickOchsnerWBTV) 1635879429

The girl's mother told the outlet she fears that the district's behavior will discourage other students from coming forward with sexual assault allegations.