OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) — Oklahoma’s Legislature gave final approval Thursday to another Texas-style anti-abortion bill that providers say will be the most restrictive in the nation once the governor signs it.
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The bill is part of an aggressive push in Republican-led states across the country to scale back abortion rights. It comes on the heels of a leaked draft opinion from the U.S. Supreme Court that suggests justices are considering weakening or overturning the landmark Roe v. Wade decision that legalized abortion nearly 50 years ago.
The bill by Collinsville Republican Rep. Wendi Stearman would prohibit all abortions, except to save the life of a pregnant woman or if the pregnancy is the result of rape or incest that has been reported to law enforcement.
“Is our goal to defend the right to life or isn’t it?” Stearman asked her colleagues before the bill passed on a 73-16 vote mostly along party lines.
The bill is one of at least three anti-abortion bills sent this year to Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt, who has indicated he’ll sign it. Another Texas-style abortion bill that prohibits the procedure after cardiac activity can be detected in the embryo, which experts say is about six weeks, already has taken effect and has already dramatically curtailed the practice in Oklahoma. Another bill set to take effect this summer would make it a felony to perform an abortion, punishable by up to 10 years in prison. That bill contains no exceptions for rape or incest.
“At this point, we are preparing for the most restrictive environment politicians can create: a complete ban on abortion with likely no exceptions,” said Emily Wales, interim president and CEO of Planned Parenthood Great Plains, which stopped providing abortions at two of its Oklahoma clinics after the six-week ban took effect earlier this month. “It’s the worst-case scenario for abortion care in the state of Oklahoma.”
Like the Texas law, the Oklahoma bill would allow private citizens to sue abortion providers or anyone who helps a woman obtain abortion. After the U.S. Supreme Court allowed that mechanism to remain in place, other Republican-led states sought to copy Texas’ ban. Idaho’s governor signed the first copycat measure in March, although it has been temporarily blocked by the state’s Supreme Court.
After Texas passed its bill last year, there was a dramatic reduction in the number of abortions performed in that state, with many women going to Oklahoma and other surrounding states for the procedure.
There are legal challenges pending in Oklahoma to both the bill to criminalize abortion and the six-week Texas ban, but the courts have so far failed to stop either measure.
Well, well, well. All of those feinshmekers who were arguing that such laws are wrong because they’re more restrictive than the Torah, and because they don’t allow for exceptions for the mother’s health –
well, the Torah disallows abortion altogether for Bnei Noach, while this one allows it. And for Jews, the Torah makes no blanket exceptions for rape or incest (there might be individual cases where that warrants a heter because of the mother’s mental health, but it’s on a case-by-case basis), while this one does (when it’s been reported to law enforcement);
and it does allow for exceptions for the mother’s health.
So, if this is the “most restrictive” they get, then clearly those concerns about halachah were misplaced. Now, of course, if such concerns were being used simply as a cover for something else, well then…
I am at least relieved that the CEO of PP referred to ” abortion care” rather than the unbearable annoying euphemism “reproductive freedom”.
Hooray!
“abortion rights” Rights?
I honestly think the abortion boat has sailed
What do republicans think they are gaining
Most humans on earth want access to early abortion at the very minimum
For them, it is a right
furthermore many parents choose to abort babies who aren’t medically well (my relative had a baby with a severe heart defect and was highly encouraged to abort by medical professionals- to spare the baby suffering of course)
I’m not saying it’s ok
I’m saying it’s normal at this point and public opinion accepts early abortion for the most part
Yes I think it should be limited
But NO access? Should a 13 year old who messed around (as many sadly do) get stuck with a child?
Should an impoverished family with an accidental family need to feed another? No it’s not ok for Jews but we can’t stop everyone else
The very same people who were against social distancing and masks because its inconvenient and disruptive and damaging to the economy even if it leads to more deaths are now all pro life no matter the sacrifice. perhaps only the unborn are valuable, once you are born the value of your life drops… according to republicans.
hypocrites
I’m sure that all 12 year old girls raped by their father or brother will report it to the police so they can get an abortion. Will their father also pay for the abortion?