Both pro-choice and pro-life groups are concerned about a bill to increase the penalty for injuring a pregnant woman.

The bill, sponsored by a pro-choice Democrat and a pro-life Republican, would make it a separate felony charge to injure a woman who is more than five months pregnant.

Sean Kosofsky, executive director of NARAL Pro-Choice North Carolina, said his group would be watching the bill "very closely." He said existing criminal statutes on assault may be adequate.

"There are concerns among advocates for women that the language in some of these bills may be a creative way to limit definitions for abortion are in our state," he said.

Meantime, Barbara Holt, executive director of N.C. Right to Life, said her group thinks any legislation should reclassify the death of an unborn child as a second murder.

"Those families who have lost an unborn child want recognition that there have been two lives lost," she said.

Pro-choice groups are ready to defend the State Abortion Fund.

Sean Kosofsky, executive director of NARAL Pro-Choice North Carolina, said that his group will work to prevent the state fund designed to help poor women pay for abortions from being stripped from the budget, as was suggested by a state budget official last week.

Restrictions on the use of the fund have kept it unused since 1995, but Kosofsky said NARAL's long-term goal is to lessen the restrictions and increase the funding — tasks that would be more difficult if the program is cut entirely.

He also said it would be a pointless to end the program.

"If the money is not used, it will be available anyway," he said. "We think it's important to leave that money in place to send a message that this is a state that cares about women's reproductive health."

"This is not just symbolic," he added. "We're hoping to peel back these restrictions someday."