Abortion bill clears NC Senate as protesters watch

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Pro-choice advocates are rallying against what they call one of the most restrictive anti-women's rights bills in the nation.

North Carolina's Senate passed a bill Wednesday toughening standards for abortion clinics. Opponents said Wednesday that the bill would limit accessibility to abortions because it toughens rules for clinics and requires them to meet the same standards as ambulatory surgical centers, clinics that provide same day surgeries.

"Why shouldn't a woman who is going into an abortion clinic ... why shouldn't she be cared for as well as someone who is walking into a MedFirst, because they don't feel well, said David Hains with the Catholic Diocese of Charlotte.

However, critics say if the bill passed today most state abortion clinics wouldn't meet the standard.

"All of the Planned Parenthood facilities, and there are four in North Carolina, would not meet the guidelines if it's enacted into law," said Sen. Malcom Parker, a Democrat.

The bill also protects doctors and nurses who refuse to perform abortions on "moral, ethical, or religious grounds." It also mandates that doctors who perform abortions be physically present during the procedure.

"A medical abortion, one which is carried out using medication, is five times safer than Viagra," said Josh Stein, a Senate Democrat.

Hains is hoping the bill gains even more momentum.

"What we see is children who are not yet born, who are completely innocent who are going to be more protected in NC if we have this law."

We reached out to the Department of Health and Human Services to learn more about how the bill could impact abortion clinics, but didn't hear back from them before this story aired.

WSOC