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North Carolina lawmakers send governor last-minute changes to state’s recently passed abortion law | CNN Politics

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North Carolina lawmakers send governor last-minute changes to state’s recently passed abortion law | CNN Politics




CNN
 — 

The North Carolina General Assembly on Tuesday gave final approval to a bill that includes some last-minute changes to the state’s recently passed abortion law.

The Republican-controlled legislature sent the bill to the Democratic governor’s desk, just a day before a federal judge is set to hear a motion seeking a temporary restraining order to prevent the abortion law from taking effect. The new law, which bans most abortions after 12 weeks, is set to go into effect on July 1.

CNN has reached out to Gov. Roy Cooper’s office about his plans for the bill.

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The surprise amendment, which makes significant tweaks to the new abortion law, was added to House Bill 190, an unrelated measure focusing on the Department of Health and Human Services late last week in the state Senate.

In a Tuesday filing in opposition to granting the temporary restraining order, on behalf of Republican House Speaker Tim Moore and Senate leader Phil Berger, attorneys admitted that the changes contained in the amendment were addressing issues raised by the lawsuit.

“The Legislative Leaders respectfully request that the Court deny the Motion for Temporary Restraining Order (‘TRO’), and permit normal briefing on preliminary injunction issues, if any, that may remain,” wrote W. Ellis Boyle, an attorney for Moore and Berger. “The General Assembly is working to pass and enact, with or without the Governor’s signature, a technical and conforming bill to make changes to clarify and address most, if not all, aspects of Plaintiffs’ claims about the Act.”

The lawsuit filed earlier this month by Planned Parenthood South Atlantic, along with other organizations and an OB/GYN, claims the legislation contains several inconsistencies and vague language that could potentially violate constitutional rights.

For example, the lawsuit questions whether a provision stating it is unlawful “after the twelfth week of a woman’s pregnancy to advise, procure, or cause a miscarriage or abortion” would prevent a person from legally providing information about how to obtain a legal, out-of-state abortion – something the lawsuit says would be a First Amendment violation. The new amendment would remove the word “advise” from that portion of the law’s text.

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Another measure that has been repeatedly highlighted in debate is language that regulates medication abortion. CNN has reported that while the law bans most abortions after 12 weeks into a pregnancy, it adds a separate, 10-week deadline for medication abortion in one section.

The lawsuit notes that instructions for physicians providing medication abortions are contradictory. “In one section, the Act states that abortion is lawful ‘during the first 12 weeks of a woman’s pregnancy when a medical abortion is procured,’ but in another section, it requires physicians who provide medication abortion to ‘verify the probable gestational age of the unborn child is no more than 70 days,’ or ten weeks.” The amendment would strike the “70-days” language from the law.

State Attorney General Josh Stein is named as the lead defendant in the lawsuit, due to his role representing the state in challenges to state laws. However, Stein – a Democrat who is running for governor – said last week his office will not defend parts of the new law that he has determined are unconstitutional.

In a weekend filing, Stein reiterated that he agreed with the plaintiffs that the law was unconstitutional, and referenced the recently passed amendments as evidence.

“S.B. 20 cannot satisfy this standard—and the General Assembly has effectively conceded as much. Last week, the legislature introduced a series of amendments designed to revise many of the unconstitutional provisions identified in this lawsuit,” wrote Stein in the filing.

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“If those amendments are passed, they may remedy some of the constitutional violations that Plaintiffs allege. But unless and until the current law is repealed or significantly amended, immediate injunctive relief is necessary to avoid a due-process violation,” he continued. “Moreover, even if the legislature’s proposed amendments do pass, at least one constitutional problem with S.B. 20 will remain: even the currently proposed revisions to S.B. 20 fail to make clear that doctors in North Carolina can help their patients obtain abortions out of state.”

District Judge Catherine Eagles is set to hear the motion for the temporary restraining order Wednesday morning in Greensboro.

Cooper has 10 days to take action on the amended House Bill 190. There are no line item vetoes in North Carolina, so to veto the amendment, he would have to veto the whole bill.





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North Carolina

Jay Glazer shares why Bill Belichick became North Carolina Tar Heels’ head coach | NFL on FOX Pod

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Jay Glazer shares why Bill Belichick became North Carolina Tar Heels’ head coach | NFL on FOX Pod


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Jay Glazer sits down with Dave Helman to talk about Bill Belichick! Within the segment, Glazer explains why the former New England Patriot head coach decided to become the new head coach of the North Carolina Tar Heels.

5 HOURS AGO・the nfl on fox podcast・3:25



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Bill Belichick Secures First Transfer Portal Victory at North Carolina

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Bill Belichick Secures First Transfer Portal Victory at North Carolina


The Bill Belichick era at Chapel Hill is officially underway.

On Monday, Belichick and North Carolina secured their first transfer portal coup after former Holy Cross offensive lineman Christo Kelly committed to the Tar Heels, per On3.

Kelly becomes the first player to commit to UNC since Belichick stunningly took up the head coaching role last week. The former New England Patriots coach made an appearance on The Pat McAfee Show earlier Monday and hinted that some transfer activity was in the works for North Carolina. Hours later, that statement proved true after Kelly joined the ranks.

Kelly is a redshirt senior, having had been at Holy Cross since 2020. He made the All-Patriot League Third Team in 2023 as a standout interior offensive lineman, and figures to provide some meaningful experience and protection in the trenches for the Tar Heels in 2025.

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As Belichick suggested earlier Monday, there figure to be plenty more incoming transfers to bolster North Carolina’s roster in his debut season as coach. UNC finished the 2024 season with a 6–6 record but went 3–5 in ACC play, finishing 13th in the conference.



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Jerod Mayo Addresses Theory After Bill Belichick Joins North Carolina

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Jerod Mayo Addresses Theory After Bill Belichick Joins North Carolina


Many suspect the Patriots coaching staff will look different next season.

For starters, Jerod Mayo and all of his assistants should be evaluated after yet another unsuccessful campaign in New England. Additionally, as is the case every offseason, there’s a possibility Patriots coaches leave Foxboro, Mass., for new opportunities.

One coach to watch might be Brian Belichick, whose legendary father, Bill Belichick, recently became the head football coach at North Carolina. But when Mayo met with the media Monday, the Patriots head coach claimed the possibility of Belichick leaving New England for Chapel Hill “hasn’t come up at all” in conversations with his safeties coach, per the Boston Herald’s Doug Kyed.

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Last Thursday, Brian Belichick was asked directly if he would leave the Patriots to reunite with the eight-time Super Bowl champion. A New England staffer since 2017, the younger Belichick stiff-armed the question and stressed his focus was on the Patriots’ Week 15 matchup with the Arizona Cardinals.

There’s reason to believe Brian Belichick will be back with New England in 2025. Unlike his brother, Steve, Brian Belichick decided to keep his job with the Patriots after Bill Belichick was fired last January. That said, Brian Belichick might be inclined to seek a fresh start following a string of brutal seasons for the Patriots.

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As for Brian’s brother, Steve is expected to leave Washington after one season as the Huskies’ defensive coordinator to join the Tar Heels staff.

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