Gov. Josh Stein signs executive order aimed at protecting reproductive freedoms

Stein’s order directs state agencies under his office’s control to take measures to do what they can to protect reproductive rights in the state, which has a 12-week abortion ban on the books. 

During his campaign for governor last year, Josh Stein pledged to oppose any further restrictions to abortion rights. On Thursday, the governor signed an executive order to maintain that campaign promise.

Stein’s order directs state agencies to take steps to protect reproductive freedoms, including protections for doctors providing reproductive services, and ensuring women know what reproductive rights are available to them.

“Our state has seen alarming attacks on women’s reproductive rights over the past few years, and I remain committed to doing everything in my power to protect women’s freedoms and their privacy,” Stein said.

Stein’s announcement comes just days before president-elect Donald Trump returns to the White House on Monday, a development many abortion rights advocates fear could lead to further restrictions to reproductive healthcare.

Abortion is currently banned after 12 weeks in North Carolina, after the Republican-controlled North Carolina General Assembly passed a law in 2023 restricting the procedure. The ban, includes exceptions for cases of rape and incest up to 20 weeks and for fetal anomalies up to 24 weeks. There are no restrictions on abortions if the life of the mother is at risk.

While Republicans could potentially introduce a stricter ban at the state level, they lost their legislative supermajority in the November election, meaning Stein could veto any abortion legislation and Republicans would not have the votes to override his veto unless at least one Democrat in the state House joins them. 

While Stein can veto anti-abortion bills, he’s unlikely to be able to pass any pro-choice legislation given Republicans’ continued control of the legislature, leaving executive orders as his only path to protecting reproductive rights. 

What Stein’s order does

Gov. Stein’s order is largely aimed at directing state agencies under his office’s control to take measures to protect reproductive freedoms within North Carolina.

“I am directing my cabinet agencies to take specific action to protect women and health care providers from extreme anti-reproductive freedom laws,” he said.

This includes ordering state agencies to not cooperate with efforts to prosecute or penalize a doctor for providing reproductive healthcare that is legal, as well as protecting patients receiving the care.

One of the concerns that doctors and abortion rights advocates like the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), and Planned Parenthood had prior to the passage of SB 20 was the changes to reporting policy that they said “could compromise patient confidentiality and provider safety.”

Stein’s order directs agencies to secure women’s privacy and consider changing policies related to record keeping of women’s reproductive healthcare data.

As governor, Stein’s order outlines how he would proceed with extradition requests for inquiries or criminal charges related to reproductive healthcare: “…the Governor will exercise his discretion to decline requests for the extradition of any person charged with a criminal violation in another state where the violation alleged arises out of the inquiry into, provision of, assistance with, securing of, or receipt of reproductive health care services,” unless the crime committed is a violation of both the state requesting extradition and North Carolina law.

Protections for cabinet agency employees traveling out of state for official business are also addressed, and Stein’s order will prevent pregnant women employed by state agencies from being required to travel to states that have abortion restrictions and allow them to decline official travel to states where reproductive healthcare is not satisfactory to them.

You can read Gov. Stein’s full executive order here.