Moments ago, Oklahoma Governor Kevin Stitt released this statement, confirming he signed HB4327 into law. This law bans the practice of abortion beginning at the point of conception, making abortion illegal in the state of almost four million Americans. Women in the state will now have to travel to another state to receive an abortion.
On Thursday, May 19th, the Oklahoma Legislature passed the bill, which bans the practice of abortion and relies on civil lawsuits against abortion providers in the state to enforce it, in a vote of 73-16.
“There can be nothing higher or more critical than the defense of innocent, unborn life,” State Representative Jim Olsen, a Republican, said on Thursday on the floor of the Oklahoma House.
Since the bill relies on civil lawsuit instead of criminal charges by the state, the precedent of Roe V. Wade cannot be used to nullify the law.
From the law:
”An act is not an abortion if the act is performed with the purpose to:
a. save the life or preserve the health of the unborn child,
b. remove a dead unborn child caused by spontaneous abortion, or
c. removes ectopic pregnancy ;”
The Law also provides for some protections for women against unwanted pregnancies:
“Except as provided by Section 3 of this act, a person shall not knowingly perform or attempt to perform an abortion unless:
1. The abortion is necessary to save the life of a pregnant woman in a medical emergency; or
2. The pregnancy is the result of rape, sexual assault, or incest that has been reported to law enforcement.”
