Oklahoma Supreme Court blocks abortion restrictions

[Valin]

The Washington Examiner

Gabrielle M. Etzel, Healthcare Reporter
November 15, 2023

The Oklahoma Supreme Court placed temporary injunctionson three laws regulating abortion and abortion pills on Tuesday, signaling that the state's high court could soon weigh whether abortion rights are implied in the state constitution.

In October 2021, reproductive rights groups filed a suit against five bills from the state legislature restricting access to and regulating abortion procedures, saying that all five laws violated the due process clause of the Oklahoma Constitution.

At the time, the Oklahoma County District Court issued a temporary injunction against two of the five laws but allowed three to stand: House Bill 1904 and Senate Bills 778 and 779.

On Tuesday, the state's highest court ruled in a 5-4 decision to grant a temporary injunction on the remaining three pieces of legislation.

Oklahoma HB 1904 requires that any in-person clinic abortion procedure must be performed by a board-certified OB-GYN, while SB 778 requires that abortion pills be prescribed by an OB-GYN. SB 779 requires that the Oklahoma State Board of Pharmacy track the manufacturing and distribution data of abortion pills.

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