House plays numbers game in waiting to override abortion bill veto

Republican leaders in the state House have delayed a possible override vote on Gov. Roy Cooper's veto of an abortion bill eight times in three weeks and are expected to continue doing so until the day when there are enough opponents of an override absent that they can obtain the needed three-fifths majority vote.
Posted 5/22/2019, 10:38:34 PM

PRESIDENT IS ALSO GOING TO A

TRUMP CAMPAIGN EVENT IN

GREENSBORO.

>> HOUSE LAWMAKERS HAVE VETOED

AN OVER RIGHT VOTE, HOPING TO

OVERTURN THE ABORTION SURVIVOR

BILL.

>> SO FAR, THE MATH HAS NOT

WORKED OUT.

LAURA LESLIE IS LIVE

ON JONES STREET TO EXPLAIN.

LAURA?

>> Reporter: KATHRYN AND GERALD,

THE REPUBLICANS, HOUSE

REPUBLICAN HOLD A SOLID MAJORITY

IN THAT CHAMBER BUT THEY ARE

SEVEN VOTES SHORT OF THE THREE

FIFTH VOTE THEY WOULD NEED TO

OVERRIDE A VETO AND THEY WOULD

NEED EITHER DEMOCRATIC HEALTH OR

ABSENCES TO MAKE IT HAPPEN AND

SO FAR, THEY HAVEN'T BEEN ABLE

TO GET EITHER.

NOW, THE BILL IN

QUESTION WOULD MAKE IT A CRIME

FOR A DOCTOR TO FAIL TO PROVIDE

LIFE-SAVING MEASURES TO ANY BABY

BORN ALIVE DURING AN ABORTION.

IT'S NOT CLEAR HOW OFTEN SUCH A

SCENARIO HAPPENS.

THE GOVERNOR

VETOED THE BILL BECAUSE HE SAID

IT'S A MADE-UP PROBLEM AND

MURDER IS ILLEGAL.

THE SENATE

VOTED TO OVERRIDE ONE DEMOCRATIC

VOTE BUT THE HOUSE HASN'T TRY

TODAY YET.

HOUSE REPUBLICANS

WOULD NEED SEVEN DEMOCRATIC

VOTES OR 12 DEMOCRATIC ABSENCES

OR SOME COMBINATION.

DARREN

JACKSON LEADS THE HOW DEMOCRATIC

CAUCUS AND SAYS AS LONG AS

DEMOCRATS PUT IT ON THE

CALENDAR, HIS DEMOCRATS CANNOT

MISS THE SESSION NO MATTER WHAT

IS HAPPENING OUTSIDE THE

LEGISLATURE.

>> WE PARTICULARLY HAVE SOMEONE

WHO HAS HAD SURGERY, HAD CANCER

SURGERY, NOT SUPPOSED TO BE BACK

YET AND SHE'S BEEN DRUG HERE

BOTH DAYS THIS WEEK TO SIT THERE

JUST TO BE COUNTED AND WHEN

SHE'S COUNTED, THE VOTE HADN'T

BEEN DONE.

THAT'S DISAPPOINTING.

IT'S UNFORTUNATE.

>> JACKSON SAID HE'S BEEN TOLD

THE VOTE WON'T HAPPEN UNTIL THE

G.O.P.

CAN WIN.

THEY ARE ANXIOUS

TO SET A DATE, VOTE ON AND MOVE

ON AND DOES NOT SPECIFY HOW LONG

LAWMAKERS CAN HOLD ON TO A VETO

BEFORE VOTING ON AN OVERRIDE.

IT

COULD STAY ON THE CALENDAR UNTIL

NEXT YEAR.

GERALD?

>> ONE HER THING TO DISCUSS.

LAURA LESLIE LIVE ON JONES