Victories and defeats in local abortion skirmishes
Submitted by scharrison on Tue, 03/16/2010 - 10:17am
By a narrow margin, Wake County Commissioners voted along party lines to reinstate elective abortion coverage for County employees:
After a pointed legal and moral debate, the Wake County Board of Commissioners agreed Monday to restore insurance coverage for elective abortions for county employees. "I don't think that government should be telling women what to do with their bodies," board member Stan Norwalk said.
With Democrats outvoting Republicans 4-3, members overruled county manager David Cooke. Cooke removed the coverage from the county's self-insured plan when he learned of language in a 1981 state Supreme Court decision that could be read to forbid counties from paying for elective abortions. Rep. Paul Stam, who was the plaintiff in the case, brought it to board chairman Tony Gurley's attention this year.
In Pitt County, however, the vote went the other way:
The Pitt County Board of Commissioners on Monday voted to remove coverage for elective abortions from the county’s insurance plan.
Commissioner Jimmy Garris added the issue to the board’s discussion at the beginning of the meeting. He wanted the board to hold a discussion before he made a motion in case he did not get a second and the motion failed.
“I think it is morally wrong and ethically wrong,” Garris said. “I cannot continue to support a plan that incorporates the payment of abortion.”
I have a feeling we'll soon see numerous county/city governments across the State engaging in this, and also using it as an election issue this November.
This is good news
Finally, some sanity on this issue.
Thanks, scharrison. Good news.
Wider implications
The Wake decision appears to be a victory, but I fear Republicans are poised to use this abortion issue (not just in Wake) as a rallying cry for their base. If they can turn out Conservative voters in local (municipal) elections, it will help them in District and State-level elections, as well.
Actually..
Actually, abortion is THE issue with religious right conserv/repubs, second to none...has been for quite a while now. That is their rallying cry, as you put it, and that is dead on.
It most certainly IS going to be used to gear up support for their side this coming election year.
Democrats have to rally their troops, get the same kind of turn out they had in 2008 (or close) or there could be a big change in the make-up of not only the U.S. legislature but in state legislatures as well, not to mention many local races.
Here's the hard part:
Getting run-of-the-mill Democrats to understand that these local elections aren't just about boring County administration issues that might impact the three (or whatever) female employees on staff, it's about voter mobilization.