RALEIGH, N.C. — As state lawmakers convened on Wednesday for the first day of the 2023 legislative session, abortion rights activists gathered outside the nearby State Capitol to protest anticipated efforts by Republicans to curtail abortion laws this year.
Behind the scenes, efforts are underway to build consensus among GOP lawmakers on what exactly they should propose.
Having won greater majorities in both the House and Senate in November, Republicans have promised to change the current abortion law, which restricts the procedure after 20 weeks of pregnancy. GOP leaders of both chambers have said there is a range of opinions in their caucuses on how many weeks the law should be rolled back by, and it remains unclear when Republicans will unveil a bill.
