Perdue plans to help forcibly sterilized if elected

Lieutenant Governor Beverly Perdue wants to create a foundation to give money and other benefits to people sterilized as part of a state-sponsored program in the mid-20th century.

Perdue said Monday if elected governor she would carry out the 2003 recommendations from a task force examining how to help thousands of people who were forcibly sterilized because they were mentally handicapped or considered genetically inferior.

Many were black women.

The campaign for fellow Democratic candidate Richard Moore says the current state treasurer would support a similar effort if elected.