RALEIGH, N.C. — While a proposed state bill could give voters a chance in November to enshrine stricter abortion laws into the North Carolina Constitution, previous attempts to pass similar legislation have hit dead ends.

Rep. Keith Kidwell, a Beaufort County Republican, filed House Bill 1232 earlier this month. If it passes, voters would be asked if they are for or against a “constitutional amendment to recognize that a distinct and separate human life begins at the moment of fertilization, and this individual person is entitled to the protection of the laws of the State from the moment of fertilization until the moment of natural death.”

The bill would create a constitutional amendment stating that since life begins at fertilization, that life is protected by state laws. This means people “willfully” seeking to end that life through abortion or other means “shall be held accountable for attempted murder or for first degree murder, respectively.”

That amendment would be put to voters in November if the bill were to become law.

The bill has been sent to the Rules Committee. Kidwell, who lost his primary election in March, has filed similar bills year after year, and the bills have seen very little movement through the state legislature.

In 2025, House Speaker Destin Hall said the Republican caucus was not interested in hearing a similar bill that was also filed by Kidwell. It would have banned abortion after conception with no exceptions other than to preserve the mother’s life.

Rep. Ben Moss, a Rockingham Republican, initially was listed as a sponsor for the bill.

Moss on Tuesday posted to social media and said he decided to remove himself as a sponsor after “further discussion and feedback from constituents and members of the community.”

He said he is still pro-life and that the legislation was meant to “affirm the value and dignity of unborn life — not to suggest that women should face capital punishment or to create uncertainty surrounding difficult medical situations.”

“However, I also believe legislation must be written with absolutely clarity so that its intent cannot be misunderstood or broadly misinterpreted in ways that create fear and confusion,” Moss posted.

A phone call to Kidwell on Wednesday was not returned.

Negative reactions to bill

Rep. Julie von Haefen, an Apex Democrat, also posted to social media on Tuesday saying that people should “please calm down.”

She said Kidwell’s bills never get a hearing or vote and are often referred to the House’s Rules Committee, “a place I am very familiar with since most of my bills go there to die.”

“It is the place bills go when leadership never intends to take them up,” she said. “So, I have faith that this bill won’t ever see the light of day.”

Von Haefen said the bill is a distraction from other bills being voted on and passed, including multiple constitutional amendments concerning unions and taxes, at least some of which will be on the ballot for North Carolinians to weigh.

She said the amendments “are being used to drive conservative voter turnout.”

Samantha Heller is the communications coordinator for Interfaith Voices for Reproductive Freedom, which represents 14 Jewish, Christian and Unitarian Universalist congregations in North Carolina and advocates for reproductive freedom

She said it was scary and horrifying that the bill is being normalized.

Heller added that the organization is frustrated “because I think the more media attention it gets, it’s sort of detracting from this more likely outcome which is that other bills being introduced by Republicans right now become law and really permanently damage our state’s ability to support healthy mothers, healthy babies and reproductive choice in the state.”

“These bills just become more and more extreme, but at the end of the day, we’re really trying to focus our member congregation’s attention on more imminent threats that we see to public health funding,” she said.

Previous attempts

In 2023, when House and Senate Republicans were working to restrict the state’s then-law of allowing abortion through 20 weeks of pregnancy, Kidwell filed a bill making abortion illegal at any stage, unless the mother’s life was at risk.

That same year, the joint Republican caucus settled on a bill that banned abortion after 12 weeks of pregnancy with several exceptions, including rape and incest, a fetal anomaly or a medical emergency. A spokesperson for then-House Speaker Tim Moore said Kidwell’s bill did not reflect the work or consensus of the group’s discussion.

Hall in 2025 said the 2023 legislation was a “really landmark pro-life” bill, and that it would take more time to see how it’s working before any changes would be warranted.

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