Oklahoma lawmakers have moved to effectively ban abortion in their state by making it a felony for doctors to perform the procedure, an effort the bill’s sponsor said Thursday is aimed at ultimately overturning the U.S. Supreme Court’s 1973 decision that legalized abortion nationwide.
The bill , which abortion rights group Center for Reproductive Rights says is the first of its kind in the nation, also would restrict any physician who performs an abortion from obtaining or renewing a license to practice medicine in Oklahoma.
It passed 33-12 Thursday with no discussion or debate; a handful of Republicans joined with Democrats in voting against the bill sponsored by Republican Sen. Nathan Dahm. Oklahoma Gov. Mary Fallin, an anti-abortion Republican will withhold comment until her staff has time to review it, Fallin spokesman Michael McNutt said.
Dahm made it clear that he hopes his bill could lead to overturning Roe v. Wade.
“Since I believe life begins at conception, it should be protected, and I believe it’s a core function of state government to defend that life from the beginning of conception,” said Dahm, R-Broken Arrow.
But abortion rights supporters — and the state’s medical association — have said the bill is unconstitutional. Sen. Ervin Yen, an Oklahoma City Republican and the only physician in the Senate, described the measure as “insane” and voted against it.
“Oklahoma politicians have made it their mission year after year to restrict women’s access vital health care services, yet this total ban on abortion is a new low,” Amanda Allen, an attorney for the New-York based center said in a statement. “The Center for Reproductive Rights is closely watching this bill and we strongly urge Governor Fallin to reject this cruel and unconstitutional ban.”
Thursday’s vote in the Senate comes as the Oklahoma Legislature nears a May 27 deadline for adjournment and is still grappling with a $1.3 billion budget hole that could lead to deep cuts to public schools, health care and the state’s overcrowded prison system.
“Republicans don’t have an answer for their failed education policies, failing health care policies and failing fiscal policies, so what do you do in that situation?” said Senate Democratic leader Sen. John Sparks. “You come up with an emotional distraction. That’s what this bill is.”
Nearly every year, Oklahoma lawmakers have passed bills imposing new restrictions on abortions, but many of those laws have never taken effect. In all, eight of the state’s separate anti-abortion measures have been challenged in court as unconstitutional in the last five years.
In 2013, the U.S. Supreme Court declined to hear a case over an overturned Oklahoma law that would have required women to view of an ultrasound of her fetus before an abortion is performed. That same year, the Oklahoma Supreme Court struck down a law that would have effectively banned all drug-induced abortions in the state.
In 2014, the state Legislature approved a law requiring abortion doctors to have admitting privileges at nearby hospitals, but a challenge is pending before the Oklahoma Supreme Court.
Also Thursday, the Oklahoma House approved a bill that requires the state Department of Health to develop informational material “for the purpose of achieving an abortion-free society,” but lawmakers didn’t approve any funding for it. The measure, which now goes to the Senate, requires the health department to produce information about alternatives to abortion and the developmental stages of a fetus, but the bill’s sponsor says it cannot be implemented without any funding.
The Associated Press contributed to this article.
Scientific knowledge about fetal development has increased greatly since 1973. Some of the assumptions made back then were known to be false even when they entered the discussion. If one person can decide to end the life of another before they are born, what stops someone from making the same choice for the elderly, disabled or even a child not old enough to care for themselves?
Only time will tell whether this Oklahoma measure will end abortion in the United States. Hopefully it will.
When you have an abortion there is a limit to how many of them you can have. My friend had two and was sterile. People do not know this side to the abortion industry they want the body parts now!!!! Why would them tell them.. they have created a new industry by death of a little baby which should be protected in the mother’s womb and the Mother does not protect that child. Why would nature send more children down just to be killed on this earth. This is a horrible industry and GOOD for OK to stop it!!!!
Has it ever occurred to anyone why are these clinics are located in Minority Neighborhoods. Is it possible that Obama is bring over Minorities just to have them have abortions in this country??? More body parts and more money? Hummm – just thinking out loud OK is right this is now a perverted industry!!!
Sex trade in America….Humm… Sterilization program in America called Abortion??? Follow the actions and you will see the core of the problem and the business of abortion true agenda….
A life is a life whether unborn or elderly
AMEN!
God has allowed Obama to scourge Americans citizens for not defending the lives of the fifty six million un-born the heathen in our nation have murdered in the pretense of women’s freedom and choose murder rather than life.
WHere is the responsibility of the man? Woman doesn’t just become pregnant. The big challenge for male is to figure out just why he cannot protect a Woman, and an unborn child, and why his actions aren’t in fact, the most important factor to the equation. The worst crime against the unborn to many, was man’s justification of porography dumped onto the Internet in the early, 1990’s. A generation and more have been raised on the evil, now. Where were you in 1992? Were you in the fight, defending Women and Children from the effects of the scourge let loose upon the world, destroying morality and causing unbridled sexual crimes? Not many men were obviously, with todays results. You should have been yelling back then.
Good for Ok for this procedure is just like the old procedure which my friend did and could only have two preg. for after than she was sterile and could not have children at all. They are not being told that abortion has consequences for they think they can have them all the time, but they can’t for each abortion is a “SHOCK” to the system and damages “something” to where you can’t have children at all. You want birth control you can’t turn back – have abortions that will work 100% of the time….Why do people think the women who started this wanted abortions – for she knew the consequences which the abortion industry is not telling people. I know for I saw my friend get sterile!!!
Know wonder a Supreme court Justice was not picked by Trump in OK! This is not the way of a Republican party court!
S. Strand:
WHere is the responsibility of the man?
I think that you hit the nail on the head right there, Ms Strand. Both parties should be held responsible for their part in this matter. When it comes to consensual sex, I firmly believe that the man should be forced to support that child and mother irregardless of whether they decide to marry or not. In the case of rape, I believe that the death penalty should be adopted for any man who would abuse a woman in this manner, and the child and mother should be taken care of by the state. In the case of statutory rape, the appropriate rule to an equal or lesser degree should apply.
I know this may seem like drastic measures to many, but having sex is a very serious thing in the eyes of God and mankind has turned it into an evil and flippant thing that is despicable and sickening. Sex should be a wonderful and blessed thing between a man a woman. It is high time that EVERYBODY start taking responsibility for their actions, from the time of puberty and beyond. If a person is old enough to reproduce, then they are old enough to learn the consequences and take responsibility in a serious way. It is a fact that killing babies is not the answer to the problem; people are going to have to learn to take responsibility for their actions instead of blaming it on their childhood experiences or their economic status.
I was raised in a VERY poor environment myself and my father was an abusive alcoholic just like many of my age group, but I still learned to respect the rights of others and believe me, I have had my mouth washed out with soap and have had my butt busted many times. It is high time that we started instilling some CHARACTER back into our society.
GOD BLESS OKLAHOMA, THIS IS A BEGINNING AT LEAST!
BTW, I grew up to be a Grade school dropout, but after marrying my wonderful, helpful wife, obtained my degree in Electronics Engineering Technology, have two wonderful boy’s; one is in the medical field and the other is in construction and horticulture. They also own their own homes, and I am retired with a very nice home and two cars in my parking area……… not bad for someone who was “abused” as a child, huh?
Success is not always given….. it is earned!