Panelists call law part of a ‘war on women’

DURHAM — An abortion law that gained prominence this summer with the “MotorcycleVagina” hashtag on Twitter was attacked by a panel of three women’s health leaders, Duke University law professor Jedediah Purdy and Chapel Hill Mayor Mark Kleinschmidt on Monday.

The panelists, who spoke at Duke School of Law to an audience of about 50 law students and faculty, decried what they called a war on women in the state.

Gov. Pat McCrory signed the legislation — which sped through the legislature in July and attached abortion language to a motorcycle safety measure — amid an outcry from pro-abortion rights advocates.

“This really did not happen at all in what we would call the normal course of business with the legislature,” said Alison Kiser, spokeswoman of Planned Parenthood of Central North Carolina.

The new laws impacting abortion took effect Oct. 1 — but Sarah Preston, policy director of the N.C. ACLU, said the legislature has quietly attacked women’s rights since 2011.

“What we actually saw in 2013, although it was very sneaky … it wasn’t entirely unexpected,” she said.

Suzanne Buckley, executive director of NARAL Pro-Choice North Carolina, said public employees will take a hit as impacts of new legislation are realized in the state.

The N.C. General Assembly voted not to cover abortion in plans offered on the state’s new health care exchange — which began enrolling people last week as part of the Affordable Care Act — and in county and city health insurance plans.

Kleinschmidt said Chapel Hill town officials are noticing the limited plan options as they begin negotiating with health care providers for the next enrollment period.

Buckley estimated that, beginning in the next enrollment period, the changes could affect about 375,000 city and county employees.

Eight other states have chosen not to cover abortion under state health insurance policies, Buckley said. She said she expects federal litigation to challenge the laws.

Part of the new abortion law directs the N.C. Department of Health and Human Services to write and implement new standards for the state’s 15 abortion clinics. DHHS has a Jan. 1 deadline to report back to legislators with progress on the regulations.

Purdy questioned whether targeted regulations of abortion providers, or TRAP laws, would be able to survive pending legal challenges.

Buckley said she was concerned DHHS wouldn’t be transparent.

“Are these laws just going to sort of pop up on their website one day without any discussion or conversation?” she said.

Haniya Mir, president of Duke’s Women Law Students Association, said she organized the event in light of a statewide stir surrounding the summer’s Moral Monday protests.

“I just didn’t see that discussion starting up at Duke,” she said. “I really wanted students here to realize that these things impact us for the three years that we’re here.”

Kiser said the women’s health debate hasn’t ended in North Carolina — and students need to be part of future conversations.

“We need to fill up the room, when in fact there’s a room to fill.”

state@dailytarheel.com