North Carolina has had its share of fiscal problems, but you wouldn’t know it by looking at abortion policy in the state. Set to take effect in October, the Woman’s Right to Know Act is nothing more than a peg in the Republicans’ social agenda. The bill burdens both women and the state itself in a manner that could easily be avoided.
Planned Parenthood, which is currently in the midst of an injunction in the fight to retain funding, is evaluating its options in filing a lawsuit against the controversial legislation. The law requires that any woman seeking an abortion be provided information about the development of the fetus and subjected to a 24-hour waiting period, as well as offered an ultrasound. Those in support of the bill argue that the law is constitutional and, according to a poll taken by the conservative Civitas Institute, a majority of the state is in support of the legislation. But conservative legislators are losing sight of their priorities.
There is nothing wrong with ensuring that all information is available to a woman in order to help her make an educated decision — but this bill doesn’t have the woman’s best interest in mind. And at such high costs, with initial printing of this new information costing the state more than $60,000, this bill will be hard to swallow for the state, as well.
Janet Colm, chief executive officer at Planned Parenthood of Central North Carolina, said the costs to women seeking abortions would become burdensome. The cost of birth control will likely triple, she said.
Planned Parenthood’s funding is already in turmoil due to a ban preventing the organization’s funding from receiving money from the state’s budget. Currently, those funds support prevention programs and health services in Durham.
The Woman’s Right to Know Act places an undue burden women by requiring them to spend more time and money on appointments. Certainly, there are individuals who would benefit from additional information.
But the true intention of this act is to dissuade women from taking advantage of their rights. That isn’t something the state can ever afford.
