Liberals on the Wake County Board of Commissioners could take the first step in putting elective abortion funding back in county employees’ health insurance policies at an agenda meeting tomorrow.
For years, the county’s policy covered elective abortions, those considered unnecessary for medical reasons (such as to save the mother’s life). In mid-February, Wake’s county manager and attorney removed the coverage from the plan, citing a State Supreme Court ruling from 1981 that might have declared the funding illegal.
Several commissioners weren’t happy with that, and they could take actions to try to re-instate the abortion funding at the commissioners’ next meeting March 1.
According to chairman Tony Gurley, County Attorney Scott Warren sent a letter to commissioners explaining the procedures that they would have to take in order to re-incorporate the abortion funding. But Warren is standing by his position that the funding is still illegal, Gurley said.
Reached by telephone, Warren would not comment specifically, but he said there are some “legal nuances” that other county attorneys have missed.
“It would take the heat off staff if [the county commissioners] would either approve or disapprove it up or down,” he said.
Commissioners could put the item on the agenda at tomorrow’s meeting, or wait until the actual meeting March 1 to bring it up.
