A bill broadening so-called conscience protections and the number of employers who can refuse to provide contraception services in health insurance coverage has been approved by a North Carolina House committee.

The bill approved Wednesday allows any medical professional to refuse to participate in an abortion and allows any business to refuse to provide contraception coverage on religious or moral grounds.

The bill expands so-called conscience protections beyond doctors and nurses to include people such as pharmacists and technicians.

The contraception provision expands existing law that exempts religious organizations to any private or nonprofit company.

The bill also outlaws health care plans that include abortion services from future online marketplaces of private plans offered under the federal Affordable Care Act.

Opponents say the bill tramples women's rights.

Copyright 2013 The Associated Press.

Gardening for awareness is exactly what the Green Thumb Garden Club is doing.

Green Thumb Garden Club in partnership with the City of Hickory is installing a “Plant it Pink” Garden at the S.A.L.T. Block.  The looped pink ribbon design honors breast cancer survivors and offers support to those currently suffering from this disease.

Each year over 220,000 United States women are diagnosed with breast cancer and more than 40,000 die.  One in eight women will be diagnosed with breast cancer during their lifetime.

Insurance Commissioner Wayne Goodwin asked North Carolina to clean out its medicine cabinets, and people throughout the state answered the call. From March 17 to 23, more than 250 Operation Medicine Drop events were held in 74 counties across North Carolina to provide people with a way to safely dispose of expired and unneeded prescription and over-the-counter medications.

As a result, more than 12 million doses of medications were safely collected and destroyed.

“The only way we could have had success like this, and ultimately protect our children, is when North Carolinians come together and responsibly dispose of their medications,” said Goodwin.