NC's "Moral Monday" Movement

AncientEagle said:

My understanding is that the governor is signing some stuff that he said during his campaign he wouldn't sign. I can't prove that. I didn't follow the campaign.

Click to expand...

According to Raleigh's WRAL, he did in fact break that campaign promise:

During an Oct. 24, 2012, debate, WRAL News reporter Laura Leslie asked soon-to-be Gov. Pat McCrory the following: "If you are elected governor, what further restrictions on abortion would you agree to sign?"

McCrory's one-word reply: "None."


So when McCrory signed a package of changes to the state's abortion laws Monday, did he break that campaign pledge?



... [T]here is still a strong case to be made that the end result of the bill would be to further limit access to abortions:

• The use of the ambulatory surgical center standard was not completely eliminated. Depending on what regulations are drafted by DHHS, it could still force expensive upgrades that abortion clinics may find too costly or physically impossible to comply with because of their locations. According to legislative staff, only one abortion clinic in North Carolina can currently meet the full ambulatory surgical standard. McCrory says he will direct DHHS staff to draft the guidelines in such a way that no clinic will shut down, but similar provisions in other states have led to clinic closures.
  
• The bill allows any health care provider to opt out of providing care related to an abortion. This could lead to a shortage of personnel available during certain procedures.
  
• The bill forbids health plans offered through the exchanges set up by the Affordable Care Act from offering abortion coverage. While this does not restrict the availability of the procedure, it does limit the ability of women to acquire coverage that might pay for the procedure.
  
• The bill forbids cities and counties from offering health plans that cover abortion procedures. Taken together, the two insurance provisions would make it more difficult for low-income women to seek abortions.

Filigree, from what I hear, McCrory (the former mayor of Charlotte) did a good job of persuading many voters that he was a moderate, and his promise not to restrict abortion was one of the ways he managed to do that.

However, it is also the case that McCrory seems to be a tool of a fellow named Art Pope, scion of a wealthy department-store founder, who has donated a great deal of time, money, and effort into ensuring his party's success in the state. Among other things, Pope has overseen much of the redistricting that has helped the GOP dominate the state's current Congressional delegation, and was named by McCrory as NC's budget director.

Pope's conservative think tank, Civitas, was also involved in the online posting of the photos and addresses of the protesters arrested during the Moral Monday gatherings, perhaps in an attempt to embarrass them, to intimidate others, or to back u the claim that the protesters were outside agitators. (As it turned out, 98% of those arrested were NC citizens.)

But my larger point is this: if Pope wanted the abortion legislation signed by McCrory, McCrory would almost certainly cave, no matter what his previous position had been.