On the heels of attacks on reproductive rights in Texas and Ohio, a bill seen as a “sneak attack” on women’s rights was approved by the North Carolina Senate and sent to the GOP-dominated House on Wednesday.  Cloaked by “backdoor maneuvering,” the bill was crafted late in the day on Tuesday when state senators added a number of new, anti-abortion restrictions to an unrelated bill and voted to pass a second reading without notifying the public.

Although the bill was introduced quietly, hundreds of people flocked to the statehouse on Wednesday to demonstrate as Senators voted.  According to local news outlet the News & Observer, following the vote people who had filled the hall chanted “Shame, shame, shame.” A woman in the gallery who yelled “Shame on you” was arrested.

“This is a cowardly move intended to silence pro-choice voices because they know that if they show their extreme agenda in the light of day, they’ll hear from us.”- Suzanne Buckley, NARAL The anti-abortion bill would essentially shut down legal abortions within the state.  If passed, the law would require clinics that provide the service to meet license standards similar to those of outpatient surgery centers.  Only one clinic in North Carolina meets this standard, which would mean a forced closing of all other facilities including the state’s four Planned Parenthood centers.  The law would also require the presence of a doctor when a woman takes an abortion-inducing drug.

NARAL Pro-Choice North Carolina Director Suzanne Buckley condemned the action: