NC GOP Lawmaker Withdraws Support for Anti-Abortion Constitutional Amendment
Republican lawmaker Ben Moss removed his name from a controversial bill after critics said it could justify deadly force against doctors and women using birth control.
RALEIGH, NORTH CAROLINA — A North Carolina Republican lawmaker withdrew his sponsorship of a controversial anti-abortion bill Tuesday after facing intense social media criticism over language critics said could justify deadly force against medical providers and women using certain contraceptives.
Rep. Ben Moss (R-Richmond) removed himself as a primary sponsor of House Bill 1232, leaving Rep. Keith Kidwell (R-Beaufort) as the measure’s sole sponsor. The bill would allow voters this November to decide whether to amend the state’s constitution to define human life as beginning at the moment of conception.
Bill Would Criminalize Abortion as Murder
Under the proposed constitutional amendment, individuals seeking abortions “shall be held accountable for attempted murder or for first degree murder.” The bill also states that “any person has the right to defend his or her own life or the life of another person, even by the use of deadly force if necessary, from willful destruction by another person.”
The measure does not include exceptions for rape, incest, or threats to the life of the mother. Critics argue the language could criminalize some forms of birth control that prevent implantation of fertilized embryos.
Viral Video Sparks Backlash
Opposition to the bill intensified after Jen Hamilton, a labor and delivery nurse, posted a video to Instagram claiming H1232 would allow people to kill individuals using contraceptives like IUDs that prevent the implantation of a fertilized embryo.
“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,” Hamilton said in the video. The post earned 193,000 likes and more than 45,000 shares in a single day.
Lawmaker Cites Concerns Over Wording
Moss announced his withdrawal from the bill on social media Tuesday night, stating he remains “firmly pro-life” but raised concerns about the legislation’s wording. He indicated the bill needs additional work before moving forward.
The removal of Moss as a sponsor represents an unusual public retreat by a Republican lawmaker in North Carolina, where the GOP has pursued increasingly restrictive abortion policies. The controversy highlights the challenges facing anti-abortion advocates in crafting legislation that satisfies their base while avoiding provisions that could face broader public opposition.
House Bill 1232 would need approval from both chambers of the Republican-controlled General Assembly before appearing on the November ballot as a constitutional amendment. Constitutional amendments in North Carolina require a simple majority of votes cast to be adopted.
