CLARIFICATION: A previous version of this story was unclear about the fact that the sterilization effort was specific to North Carolina.

RALEIGH – State Rep. Larry Womble is heading up a committee reviewing government compensation for victims of the North Carolina Eugenics Sterilization Program, which robbed about 7,600 men, women and children of the chance to reproduce between 1929 and 1974.

“They used a fancy name: Eugenics. They used excuses that they were promiscuous, or that they were feeble-minded or they would not be contributing members in a positive way to the society of North Carolina,” Womble said.

Womble said the program chose people who were on welfare and threatened to take their benefits if they didn’t enroll in the program.

75-year-old Willis Lynch was one such person, who had the procedure at 14.

He said he just didn’t know what was going on.

Some of the key considerations under review by the committee are a monument honoring the victims or a story in the curriculum across North Carolina schools. They are also looking into offering counseling, free education opportunities, further health car provisions, and financial compensation.

The committee could give $20,000 to each victim.

But Lynch said no amount of money could replace his chance to have children.

“I don’t really care about a monument … money is never going to take back what they did,” Lynch said. “It’s always going to be on my mind anyway, it always is.”

The committee will ask the legislature to enact their recommendations come July of next year.

The final draft will be approved Dec. 18, and from there it will go before legislators.

Contact Miracle King at miracle.king@twcable.com