BY KEVIN SAWYER… On Thursday, the state legislature in Oklahoma passed a bill that would make abortion a felony punishable by as much as three years in prison. The sponsors of the bill, which has been sent to Governor Mary Fallin (R), are looking for this proposed law to be the opening salvo in overturning the U.S. Supreme Court’s ruling in 1973’s Roe v. Wade case which made abortions legal in the United States.
The proposed law passed in the Legislature by a vote of 33-12 and there was no debate or discussion on the matter. Governor Fallin has three days to sign the bill making if official Oklahoma law or it can automatically become Oklahoma law if no action is taken by the governor for five days after the bill has been received by her.
South Carolina has recently passed legislation that would make abortion a crime if carried out after 19 weeks of pregnancy. The Oklahoma legislation will make it a felony against any doctor that performs an abortion. No mention has been made with regard to if the mother will be charged with a felony crime also.
Oklahoma Governor Mary Fallin (R)
The challenge for the Oklahoma legislature has been to craft a law that might not be rejected by the potential court challenges. In the last five years, Oklahoma has passed eight abortion related bills all of which never made it to the status of law. In 2013, the Oklahoma Supreme Court struck down legislation that would have outlawed drug induced abortions and the U.S. Supreme Court upheld a lower court decision rejecting a proposed law that would have forced mothers to look at ultrasounds of their unborn fetus prior to a possible abortion.
Also on Thursday, the Oklahoma House of Representatives passed unfunded legislation requiring the state’s department of health to start creating materials designed “for the purpose of achieving an abortion free society.” Their proposal now heads to the state Senate. Both pro and anti abortion groups have been gathering and a storm of controversy and serious debate looks imminent. Many expect the proposed legislation, or law, to be challenged, once again, in the courts as being unconstitutional.
PHOTO CREDITS: The Associated Press / The Oklahoman