Oklahoma House sends Texas-style abortion ban to governor
OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) — The Oklahoma House gave final approval on Thursday to a Texas-style abortion ban that prohibits the procedure following concerning sextet weeks of pregnancy, earlier to numerous women know they are pregnant.
The invoice approved by the GOP-led House on a 68-12 ballot lacking discussion or debate now heads to Republican Gov. Kevin Stitt, who is expected to sign it within days. The assault on abortion rights is one of some culture-war issues conservatives inside GOP-led states have embraced, exist fond of restricting LGBTQ rights, that operate the party's base inside an election year.
House members too voted Thursday to adopt new language prohibiting transgender students from using educational organization restrooms that match their contemporaneous gender identity with every one other accompanied by requiring parental notification to parents ahead of some classroom instruction on reproductive positioning or gender identity.
"They're all worried concerning their elections coming up with every one other accompanied by making sure they have something they tin place on a postcard to talk about," said Rep. Andy Fugate, D-Midwest City.
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The abortion bill, dubbed the Oklahoma Heartbeat Act, prohibits abortions on one occasion cardiac activity tin exist detected inside the fetus, which experts speak is violently sextet weeks into a pregnancy. A similar invoice approved inside Texas last year led to a theatrical lessening inside the number of abortions performed inside that state, sending numerous women seeking the procedure to Oklahoma with every one other accompanied by other surrounding states.
Although Stitt by that hour dated signed a invoice earlier this year to build performing an abortion a felony crime inside Oklahoma, that measure is not place to lay clasp of effect until subsequent inside the summer with every one other accompanied by strength not withstand a legal challenge.
Because the measure approved Thursday has an "emergency" provision, it takes effect straight away following the manager signs it, with every one other accompanied by abortion providers speak will straight away extremity most abortions inside Oklahoma.
"We are additional worried at this point concerning these Texas-style bans since they have, at least recently, been intelligent to carry on accompanied by with every one other accompanied by carry on accompanied by to exist inside effect," said Emily Wales, interim president with every one other accompanied by CEO at Planned Parenthood Great Plains, which operates set of two abortion clinics inside Oklahoma. "We do intend to be brave enough those if they're passed, nevertheless since of the crisis clause provisions, there would exist at least some time of hour dated when we could not provide care."
Like Texas, the invoice allows private citizens to sue abortion providers or anyone who helps a woman obtain an abortion for up to $10,000, a mechanism that the U.S. Supreme Court has allowed to carry on accompanied by to exist inside place. Texas' new rules and regulations has led to a enormous grow inside the number of women from Texas seeking abortions inside Oklahoma.
"We're serving while numerous Texans while Oklahomans just now, inside some cases additional Texans than Oklahomans," Wales said.
Before the Texas ban took effect last year, concerning 40 women from Texas had abortions performed inside Oklahoma every one month, according to facts from the Oklahoma State Department of Health. That number jumped to 222 Texas women inside September with every one other accompanied by 243 inside October, the agency reported.
Tony Lauinger, the chairperson of Oklahomans for Life with every one other accompanied by a longtime anti-abortion advocate inside the state, said he's optimistic the measure will exist deemed constitutional.
"It's identical to the invoice that was enacted by the Texas Legislature last year, with every one other accompanied by that invoice has passed muster accompanied by the United States Supreme Court," Lauinger said. "We are hopeful that this invoice will save the lives of additional unborn children here inside Oklahoma while well."
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