The new bill by the Oklahoma legislature is banning all abortions, even those at fertilization. Here’s everything you need to know about the extreme measure.
New Oklahoma bill bans all abortions
On Thursday, the Oklahoma House enacted a new bill prohibiting nearly all abortions, starting from fertilization. The bill is building upon a stature enacted earlier this month in the state forbidding abortions after six weeks of pregnancy. It is a part of the effort across Republican-controlled states for curtailing abortion rights. The bill defines an unborn child as a “human fetus or embryo in any stage of gestation from fertilization until birth”. The move is the latest step toward chipping away at abortion rights before its complete outlaw.
The bill comes after the Supreme Court’s suggestion that justices are considering weakening or overturning the Roe v. Wade decision. The Roe v. Wade case was the first to legalize abortions over 50 years ago. “Is our goal to defend the right to life or isn’t it?” asked Stearman after the bill passed with a 73-16 vote. According to a poll conducted by Pew Research Center, 61 percent of Americans consider that abortion should be allowed in most or all cases. However, the support for this decision becomes lower after the first trimester of pregnancy.
More on the new legislature
While the Oklahoma bill makes exceptions in cases of incest and rape, it is only applicable if the crimes are reported to law enforcement authorities. “Can you explain to me why you’re OK with a person carrying on pregnancy after they have been raped or there have been instances of incest? You understand what incest is, correct? You are OK with that?” asked Cyndi Munson, an Oklahoma Democrat. She added that several women, especially young girls will not report being victims of rape or incest to the authorities. “I am OK with preserving the life of the child. The child was not part of that decision,” replied Wendi Stearman, a Republican sponsor.
Those opposing abortions are leaning on civilian enforcement to reach their goals. They are also leading to a chilling treatment of abortion pill distributors and abortion providers. “Legislation like this, on the surface, says that we are going to end abortion in our state. The manner in which it chooses to do so is punitive, it’s speculative and it draws the worst of us together,” stated Trish Ranson. Ranson is a state representative and a democrat who votes against it. “One of the most extreme abortion bans in the country,” stated Vice President Kamala Harris.