1. United States
2. N.C.
3. Letter

North Carolina's Democratic Governor Josh Stein has taken important steps to safeguard reproductive rights in the state ahead of potential federal restrictions under the incoming Trump administration. The executive order prevents state agencies from cooperating with prosecution of health care providers offering legal abortion services and requires maximizing privacy protections for patients' reproductive health data. It also ensures continued access to birth control and abortion medication. While these measures provide crucial protections, more action is needed to fully enshrine abortion rights in North Carolina. The request is for the governor and state legislature to codify the right to abortion into state law, insulating it from federal interference to the greatest extent possible. Enshrining reproductive freedoms as a matter of state law would send a powerful message affirming North Carolinians' autonomy over their personal healthcare decisions. Solidifying abortion access is imperative as the new federal administration takes an adversarial stance on this issue. Recent actions elsewhere, like stockpiling abortion pills in New Jersey, demonstrate the urgency felt by leaders to proactively defend reproductive rights. North Carolina has an opportunity to join this vanguard and secure a vital civil liberty before it faces greater jeopardy. Substantive legislation, rather than executive orders alone, offers the most durable solution. The people of North Carolina deserve assurance that this fundamental right will be permanently upheld within state borders, safeguarded against shifting political winds.