Whither the abortion bill?
A bill that would place heavy regulations on abortion providers is one vote away from passing, but as the clock ticks down on the legislative session it's unclear when the Senate will give the measure its final hearing.
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It still hasn't passed.
There were very few differences between the House and Senate versions of the measure, which is usually a recipe for quick vote to send a bill on to the governor. Gov. Pat McCrory, a Republican, has said that he will sign the measure if it comes to him as it was drafted by the House.
However, the bill has sat in the Senate Rules Committee for the better part of two weeks with little sign of movement. Senators could bring it out of that committee and vote on it at any time during a floor session, but so far, it has sat idle.
"I think a lot of folks would be upset if it didn't pass," said John Rustin, director of the North Carolina Family Policy Council, a group that has lobbied for the bill.
So, does he think it's possible the bill might not pass?
"I hope very strongly that would not be the case," he said.
Senate leaders have said that they plan to hold a final full day of lawmaking Thursday and adjourn the legislative session sometime after 12 a.m. Friday.
But Senate leaders have been coy about the fate of the abortion bill and did not alter that tack Wednesday night.
"Before we leave," said Sen. Phil Berger, the president pro tem, when asked when the abortion bill would be heard. Asked when specifically the bill might be heard, Berger repeated, "before we leave."
That opens the intriguing possibility that one of the most high-profile, controversial bills of the session could pass – if it passes – in the wee hours of the morning when very few people are watching the process.
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