Wavering Democrat sticks with party on abortion vote; Cotham votes with rest of GOP

Hours before a vote Wednesday night on the GOP’s fast-moving 12-week abortion ban, a Democratic lawmaker said he still hadn’t decided how he’d vote.

But Rep. Garland Pierce ended up voting against the legislation, as did every other Democrat who cast a vote.

Every Republican who voted, meanwhile, supported the bill. That included Rep. Tricia Cotham, who as a Democrat had campaigned on supporting Roe v. Wade. Cotham switched parties last month.

Three House members were absent.

Pierce, a Baptist minister who represents Scotland and Hoke counties, told The News & Observer that as of Wednesday morning, he hadn’t ruled anything out and planned to make a final decision after carefully reviewing the full bill and hearing debate this afternoon on the House floor.

“If I make a decision, I want to make it on the facts,” Pierce said in an interview.

The 46-page bill detailing the GOP proposal — a ban on abortions after 12 weeks of pregnancy with exceptions for rape and incest, fetal anomalies and the life of the mother, coupled with restrictions on medication abortions, and millions of dollars in funding for child care, foster care, contraception, paid parental leave for teachers and state employees and adoption — was publicly released late Tuesday night.

Less than 24 hours later, the bill had passed the House and was on to the Senate for a vote expected Thursday.

Pierce, who is one of a few House Democrats who are considered swing votes due to their willingness to vote with Republicans on certain bills, said earlier Wednesday he hadn’t yet had a chance to go through the entire bill.

House Republicans have said throughout this year’s session that a small number of Democrats had indicated to them their support for various issues on the GOP agenda.

During a Tuesday evening press conference, Rep. Sarah Stevens, a high-ranking member of House Republican leadership, reiterated that there are some Democrats whom Republicans have talked to about the bill, and who “might” end up supporting it.

Here’s the legislature’s list of how everyone in the House voted Wednesday night.

Yes votes (Republican): Adams; Arp; K. Baker; Balkcom; Bell; Biggs; Blackwell; Bradford; Brisson; Brody; Cairns; Chesser; Clampitt; Cleveland; Cotham; Crutchfield; Dixon; Elmore; Faircloth; Fontenot; Gillespie; Goodwin; Greene; D. Hall; K. Hall; Hardister; Hastings; Howard; Humphrey; Iler; N. Jackson; Johnson; B. Jones; Kidwell; Lambeth; Loftis; Lowery; McNeely; Miller; Mills; Moore (Speaker); Moss; Paré; Penny; Pickett; Pike; Pless; Potts; Pyrtle; Reeder; Riddell; Ross; Saine; Sasser; Sauls; Setzer; Shepard; C. Smith; Sossamon; Stevens; Strickland; Torbett; Tyson; Ward; Warren; Watford; Wheatley; White; Willis; Winslow; Zenger

No votes (Republican): None

Excused Absence (Republican): Davis

No votes (Democrat): Ager; Alexander; Alston; Autry; Ball; Belk; Brockman; Brown; G. Brown; K. Brown; Buansi; Budd; Butler; Carney; Cervania; Charles Smith; Clemmons; Crawford; Cunningham; Dahle; Everitt; Gill; Harris; Harrison; Hawkins; F. Jackson; Jeffers; John; A. Jones; Liu; Lofton; Logan; Longest; Majeed; Morey; Pierce; Prather; Price; Quick; Reives; Roberson; Rudow; Staton-Williams; von Haefen; Willingham; Wray

Yes votes (Democrat): None

Excused absence (Democrat): A. Baker; Lucas