What North Carolinians think about abortion, according to polling

Plus thoughts on U.S. Sen. Tillis dealing with Democrats, Trump's chances in North Carolina in 2024, and Gov. Cooper's toxic politics

When the General Assembly returns for the 2023 long session in January, abortion will immediately become the elephant in the room. The Dobbs decision returning control over the issue to the states almost forces North Carolina to address it: Nearly every state in the country has taken some sort of action to reflect the post-Roe landscape, considering laws to either protect unborn babies at earlier ages or expand the availability of abortion.

North Carolina currently restricts abortions after 20 weeks of pregnancy, under a law passed in 1973 that is now back in effect. Needless to say, neonatology and obstetrics have advanced quite a bit since then. Fetal ultrasounds weren’t even widely available at the time, let alone the 3-D imaging and Doppler technology that have given us an unprecedented window into the life and development of the unborn.

General Assembly leaders have not publicly revealed any plans for abortion-related legislation. For now, though, it’s worth discussing how North Ca…