FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
January 16th, 2025
Contact: Ashley Vaughan
[email protected]

NC VALUES RESPONDS TO GOVERNOR STEIN’S EXECUTIVE ORDER ON ABORTION

With all the serious challenges facing North Carolinians, Governor Stein’s Executive Order No. 8 entitled “Reproductive Rights” shows front and center just where his priorities lie—with enshrining a culture of death in North Carolina as best he can.

The Order is legally problematic in several ways. First, it flies in the face of the Full Faith and Credit Clause of our federal Constitution.  That constitutional provision requires states to recognize the laws and judgments of other states, because it attempts to protect from prosecution medical personnel who violate the laws of another state. Shield laws run roughshod over this constitutional protection.  Secondly, Stein’s attempt to make North Carolina a shield law state is illegal because his actions exceed his executive authority.

Shield laws are particularly egregious with the rise of the abortion drug cartel.  Enacted in several states, these laws protect doctors, pharmacies and website operators from facing prosecution or civil liability for violating abortion laws in other states.

North Carolinians will be hurt by these shield laws. Our law prohibits the shipment of abortion pills into the State unless the shipment is in compliance with our informed consent, waiting period, and parental consent requirements.  Yet, reportedly, we have 2,000 shipments coming to N.C. each month from these states from doctors, pharmacies and websites operating with no consequences. Stein is attempting to make North Carolina a participant in this cartel by providing the same protection for abortion pill providers legally affiliated with the State.

Finally, the order directs NCDHHS to provide “information about the differences between healthcare providers and other entities that offer services to pregnant women including differences in available services and applicable patient privacy laws.” But North Carolina already has a specific statute which dictates the content of that information. By adding to those requirements, Stein is overstepping his authority as governor. Further, this provision is unnecessary because all pregnancy care centers in North Carolina comply with existing privacy laws.

Today Josh Stein showed North Carolina that he is committed to use his office as Governor—and is even willing to go beyond the powers assigned to that office—to advance an extreme abortion agenda that harms North Carolina’s families and future.

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