Republican North Carolina State Rep. Ben Moss removed his name from a pro-life bill after pro-choice backlash on May 26.
HB 1232 or Life at Fertilization is a proposed amendment to North Carolina’s constitution that aims to classify abortion as “first degree murder.” Rep. Moss announced his withdrawal as co-sponsor Tuesday, leaving Republican state representative Keith Kidwell as the sole sponsor.
Representatives Moss and Kidwell did not respond to the Daily Caller News Foundation’s requests for comment.
“I remain firmly pro-life and strongly believe in protecting innocent human life. That conviction has not changed. However, I also believe legislation must be written with absolute clarity so that its intent cannot be misunderstood or broadly misinterpreted in ways that create fear and confusion,” Rep. Moss stated in the post.
“The purpose behind this legislation was to affirm the value and dignity of unborn life — not to suggest that women should face capital punishment or to create uncertainty surrounding difficult medical situations,” Moss said. “Unfortunately, portions of the bill’s current language have led to significant misunderstandings and different misinterpretations that distract from the core pro-life message and intent.”
Rep. Moss’ withdrawal came after a nurse posted a video on Instagram criticizing the bill that garnered nearly 200,000 likes and over 45,000 within a day, NC Newsline reported Wednesday.
“We can’t feed kids in school, and we won’t give healthcare to people, but we will make it legal to murder women who use birth control,” she claimed in the May 26 video.
The North Carolina House of Representatives passed the bill’s first reading on May 14, referring it to the Committee on Rules, Calendar, and Operations of the House.
Republicans hold 71 of 120 seats in the state house and 30 of 50 seats in the state senate, according to Ballotpedia.
North Carolina currently has a 12-week abortion ban, which took effect in July 2023.
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