North Carolina protesters, now in their 10th week, have amassed a whopping 2,000 supporters, the largest crowd yet in their “Moral Monday” rallies. 64 people who refused to leave the legislative building were arrested. This week, they were opposing a bill that could limit abortion access in the state.
For the first time in 100 years, North Carolina has a Republican government, a change that has not been harmonious.
This latest proposal, which passed in the North Carolina state senate, would require abortion clinics to adhere to the same safety standards as ambulatory surgery centers. At the moment, only one in the five clinics in the state do so. Those opposed to the bill insist that this would limit access to safe abortions, while supporters say it will ensure safe procedures.
This is the latest in a nation-wide abortion restriction trend, the most notable of which was in Texas. It is also the newest in a slew of conservative changes to the state regarding topics such as natural gas drilling, voter laws, and school vouchers. Around 700 people have been arrested for civil disobedience related to these issues. Though Republicans have been quiet, they are feeling frustrated. The state’s Commerce Secretary Sharon Decker said to a crowd of reporters Monday:
I’m fielding calls every day, ‘What the heck’s going on (over) there? The current environment makes it very challenging to market North Carolina.”
Let’s hope Moral Mondays continue and lawmakers begin to listen. If they don’t, they could have some really angry citizens on their hands, like Tanya Grover, who, while waiting on line to be arrested Monday, said, “This state has gone to hell and it’s hurting my family.”
SOURCE: HuffingtonPost
