A surprise move by the Pitt County Commission Monday night is under fire from civil liberties and women's rights groups.
The commission voted to drop employees' health insurance coverage for abortions unless they involve rape, incest or the mother's health is at risk.
There is already some pushback.
Women who work for Pitt County will now have to pay to have an abortion unless it involves an extreme circumstance.
County commissioners overwhelmingly voted to drop it from health insurance coverage by a 7 – 2 vote.
"I don't believe in killing children, but I do believe there's a right for the mother," said Pitt County Commissioner Melvin McLawhorn.
As far as McLawhorn and the commission are concerned, that right doesn't guarantee health coverage unless a woman's a victim of rape, incest or might not survive a pregnancy.
Abortion rights groups call it gender discrimination at least.
"It's outrageous that they're cutting employee benefits,” said Melissa Reed, Planned Parenthood Public Policy Vice President for North Carolina. “Abortion is basic healthcare. A majority of insurers provide that kind of care and I believe they should reinstate it immediately."
Reed says Planned Parenthood responded by calling activists in Pitt County Tuesday night to get involved and complain to their commissioners.
Reed also finds it troubling that the commission's action came without any public notice before hand.
It never appeared on the scheduled agenda.
The public had no chance to weigh in on the debate.
"It was not advertised because we didn't know it was coming,” McLawhorn said. “Commissioners didn't know it was coming."
McLawhorn says he's open to revisit the issue if the public wants it.
However, he says he's confident commissioners won't change their minds.
Wake County and the town of Apex also dropped abortion coverage recently.
However, Monday night, Wake County commissioners voted to reinstate full coverage.
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