North Carolina governor vetoes abortion limits, launches override showdown

By HANNAH SCHOENBAUM and GARY D. ROBERTSON
Associated Press

RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — North Carolina’s Democratic governor has vetoed legislation that would have banned nearly all abortions after 12 weeks of pregnancy. The veto came Saturday, during a public rally. Abortion-rights activists and voters watched on a plaza in Raleigh as Gov. Roy Cooper affixed his veto stamp to the bill, which also places additional restrictions on physicians, abortion clinics and the women seeking the procedure. The veto launches a major test for leaders of the GOP-controlled General Assembly to attempt to override Cooper’s veto. Cooper is a strong abortion-rights supporter. He had until Sunday night to act on the measure that would tighten current state law that bans most abortions after 20 weeks of pregnancy.