TL/DR –
The U.S. Supreme Court has overturned Roe v. Wade, thus putting the decisions related to abortion and reproductive healthcare in the hands of states. Dan Bishop, a Republican congressman running for North Carolina Attorney General, is known for his anti-abortion stance, having celebrated the overturning of Roe v. Wade and co-sponsored a bill that would ban nearly all abortions nationwide. If Bishop wins the election, it could mean restrictions on reproductive rights in North Carolina, as the state’s attorney general has significant power in enforcing or interpreting laws related to abortion.
If elected as North Carolina’s attorney general, Dan Bishop could use his authority to limit reproductive rights, based on his past actions and statements.
Republican congressman Dan Bishop celebrated the US Supreme Court’s reversal of Roe v. Wade, effectively ending a woman’s constitutional right to abortion. He labeled it a ‘foundational victory’ for the nation in a statement.
Bishop equated abortions to “government-sanctioned killings” and likened the Roe decision to the 1857 Dred Scott v. Sanford ruling, which stated enslaved people were not US citizens and couldn’t expect federal or court protection. Post Roe, reproductive healthcare decisions are now a state matter.
As Bishop campaigns for North Carolina Attorney General, reproductive rights advocates fear the impact of his potential victory on abortion rights. Both Planned Parenthood and Reproductive Freedom for All support his opponent, Democratic Congressman Jeff Jackson.
A history of opposing abortion as an elected official
Bishop’s anti-abortion stance is evident from his past actions. In 2019, as a member of the North Carolina General Assembly, he supported Alabama’s restrictive anti-abortion law, one of the country’s strictest at the time. In Congress, he was endorsed by National Right to Life, an anti-abortion organization.
Bishop has co-sponsored the Life at Conception Act in Congress, seeking equal constitutional protection for born and preborn humans. This legislation could pose a significant threat to abortion rights and does not include protections for IVF services.
He has also voted against multiplebills aiming to protect or restore abortion access after the Court repealed Roe.
The threat Bishop could pose as attorney general
North Carolina currently has a 12-week abortion ban, with exceptions for rape, incest, fatal fetal anomalies, and to save the life of the mother. Supporters worry that as attorney general, Bishop could collaborate with the very conservative state Supreme Court to bypass the General Assembly and roll back reproductive rights.
Republican AGs in other states have taken extreme measures to prevent women from seeking abortions, including threatening prosecution against doctors who perform abortions and individuals who help women travel to other states for an abortion.
Bishop’s opponent, Jeff Jackson, has pledged not to defend the state’s abortion ban if elected, while Bishop might use his power to target women seeking abortions and those aiding them.
“Whether I or my opponent serves as the next attorney general will have a direct impact on women across the state and on their freedom,” Jackson said.
—
Read More US News; North Carolina News