Rep. Mark Hilton: North Carolina Pro-Life/Pro-Family Champion
By L.A. Williams, Correspondent
Christian Action League
RALEIGH – Now in his fifth term, Rep. Mark Hilton (R-Catawba) has been in the N.C. House long enough to know that pushing for conservative Christian values often puts him in the role of the underdog. But that hasn’t stopped the Conover business owner from rallying with like-minded legislators and introducing a number of bills that should win support from Tar Heel Christians.
“Some of these bills will not get a hearing because the leadership will not allow it, but we still need to watch for them, keep them on the radar and be ready to advocate for them if or when they do come up,” said the Rev. Mark Creech, executive director of the Christian Action League.
Hilton said he and other lawmakers meet weekly as the Conservative Pro-family Pro-life Caucus to discuss legislation to support traditional family values. With liberals in control of the General Assembly, they find themselves playing mostly defense, battling to keep solid, common sense legislation from the past from being overturned.
But Hilton is also pushing to gain conservative yardage where he can, with the following bills among those in this session’s playbook:
Unborn Victims of Violence Act: Similar to the federal bill known as the Laci and Conner Peterson Act, this bill would allow for anyone who kills or seriously injures a pregnant woman to be charged with a second crime for taking the life of her unborn child. Already 25 states have laws that protect the unborn from conception with another 10 states recognizing the fetus as a separate victim during at least part of the pregnancy. “Right now North Carolina prosecutors can’t do anything to charge for the crime against the baby,” Hilton said. “We are working to change that.”
Ultrasound Before Abortion: This bill would require any organization offering abortion to first perform an ultrasound. “This will allow the mother to know at what stage of the pregnancy she is and allow her to see the ultrasound if she wishes,” Hilton said. It would not require the woman to view the ultrasound, but would give her that option. According to a February article by the Associated Press, lawmakers in 11 states are considering similar bills.
Conscience Protection/Contraceptive Coverage: House Bill 397 would allow employers to offer health benefits or pharmaceutical coverage to their workers without forcing them to offer contraceptive services that would go against their conscience or religious tenets, such as abortion services or drugs used to induce an abortion. Already this option is available for religious organizations. This bill would make it true for any business owner who cannot in good conscience provide services that would take the life of the unborn. Similarly, Hilton has also sponsored the Conscience Protection/Health Care Providers bill (H 432) that would extend conscience protection to pharmacists or other health care providers who object to abortion on moral or religious grounds. Physicians and nurses already have this protection under existing laws. These bills are becoming more vital as the Obama administration plans to rescind a federal executive order issued late last year that protected health care providers from being forced to perform abortions.
Regulate Sales of Glass Vials used as Drug Paraphernalia: House Bill 722 would address the sale of glass vials of a certain length and diameter often used to smoke crack cocaine or other illegal drugs. According to Hilton, the vials, often containing small flowers and sold frequently at the checkout counters of convenience stores, are purchased almost exclusively for use with drugs. His bill would require stores to offer only behind-the-counter sales and register purchasers by name and signature similar to how some formerly over-the-counter cold medicines are now restricted.
Abortion-Parental Consent Notarized: House Bill 431, filed March 5, would revise the procedures regarding parental consent for a minor to get an abortion. This bill would require that a consent waiver either be signed at the facility where the abortion is to be performed or that the parent’s signature be notarized. Hilton said the law would close a loophole that had allowed a minor to get an abortion by simply forging her parent’s signature. The extra step of having the signature notarized should make it more likely that abortion clinics do not offer services without verified parental consent.
Parental Notice of Healthcare Act: This bill would require physicians to notify parents or guardians of those 16 or younger before treating them for venereal disease, pregnancy, abuse of controlled substances or alcohol or emotional disturbance. “I believe that parents have a God-given right to decide what kind of medical treatment their children are going to have,” Hilton said. “So this would require these clinics who are treating young people for these things to inform their parents.”
Other parental rights bills that Hilton is working on include one that would make it unlawful to disseminate certain materials to minors without written parental consent.
“Mainly we want to get our state back on track where the parent is the person who should be able to decide what is best for the child,” he said.
Hilton will be working on other bills as well before the April 8 filing deadline for statewide legislation. He said he and other conservative Christians are also spending time on defense, fighting the push against North Carolina’s Abstinence Until Marriage sex education curriculum and working to shore up other laws under attack.
“This is beginning to seem like probably the most liberal session I’ve experienced,” he said, but added that the tide can turn if enough people are willing to get informed on the issues and challenge their legislators to make the right decisions.
“When I was first elected, I thought we had to win every fight, and I got upset when we didn’t,” Hilton said. “Now I understand that God hasn’t put me here to win every time, but he has put me here to stand for what is right.”
The Rev. Creech asked Christians across the state to pray for their lawmakers, keep an eye on which bills are filed and then contact the legislators who represent them to urge them to support pro-family and pro-life values like those in Hilton’s bills.
“We want to recognize the hard work of lawmakers like Hilton who are playing both offense and defense in Raleigh, so to speak, getting the good bills filed and fighting against those that would harm our families,” Creech said. “At the same time, I want to urge citizens to get in the game and hold their own legislators accountable by contacting them, visiting them in Raleigh – whatever it takes to push them in the right direction.”