Oklahoma Legislators Just Voted to Make Abortion a Felony
Terrifying news out of Oklahoma: state legislators there passed a bill today that would make performing an abortion a felony punishable by up to three years in prison. Republican Governor Mary Fallin, who is generally anti-abortion, has not publicly stated whether she plans to sign the bill.
Reuters notes that several pro-choice groups have vowed to take legal action against the state if the anti-abortion bill becomes law. Opponents of the legislation would seem to have a solid legal standing: The U.S. Supreme Court famously ruled that the right to an abortion is protected under the constitution in Roe v. Wade.
The bill would also bar physicians who perform abortions from obtaining or renewing medical licenses in the state. It does make an exception for procedures that could save the life of the mother, which would remain legal under the law.
Oklahoma’s House of Representatives overwhelmingly passed the bill last month, and state senators voted 33-12 in favor of passing this afternoon, with much of the support and opposition falling along party lines. Not all Republicans voted in favor, however. The Associated Press reports that Senator Ervin Yen, a Republican and the only physician in the senate, sided with the Democrats. He called the legislation “insane.”