Oklahoma Legislature Passes Nation's Most Restrictive Abortion Ban

[Valin]

HuffPo/AP

The bill would prohibit all abortions and would allow private citizens to sue providers.

Sean Murphy

May. 19, 2022

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.

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.

(Snip)

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Top Comment

If Oklahoma and Texas lawmakers (who are in large part male), and those in other states that have enacted these incredibly cruel, regressive and senseless laws really want to cut down on the number of abortions in this country, I suggest they take personal responsibility for this issue (as they are continually telling women to) and schedule their vasectomies right away. This is a reversible procedure that can be temporarily undone when they actually want to procreate, but will ensure that none of their girlfriends, mistresses, or victims ever wind up with an unwanted pregnancy. There. Problem solved.