Oklahoma Legislature passes bill prohibiting abortion after fertilization
The Oklahoma Legislature on Thursday passed a bill that bans almost all abortions from the moment of fertilization and allows individuals to sue providers and anyone who "aids or abets" an abortion.
If signed by Gov. Kevin Stitt (R), who has promised to approve any anti-abortion law that comes to his desk, this would be the strictest abortion law in the United States.
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
"Legislation like this, on the surface, says that we are going to end abortion in our state," state Rep. Trish Ranson (D) said. "The manner in which it chooses to do so is punitive, it's speculative, and it draws the worst of us together."
The bill makes an exception for rape and incest if the crimes have been reported to police. On the House floor, state Rep. Cyndi Munson (D) said many girls and women are too afraid to report rape or incest, and she asked the measure's sponsor, state Rep. Wendi Stearman (R), to "explain to me why you're OK with a person carrying on a pregnancy after they have been raped or there has been instances of incest? You understand what incest is, correct? You are OK with that?" Stearman responded, "I am OK with preserving the life of the child. The child was not part of that decision."
Andrea Gallegos, executive administrator at the Tulsa Women's Clinic, told The New York Times this bill would make it impossible to perform abortions anywhere in Oklahoma. "These laws don't stop abortion," she said. "Women will still seek and get abortions. We're just forcing the citizens of this country to have to flee their own state to access health care. It's pretty awful."
-
Movies to watch in Februarythe week recommends Time travelers, multiverse hoppers and an Iraqi parable highlight this month’s offerings during the deep of winter
-
ICE’s facial scanning is the tip of the surveillance icebergIN THE SPOTLIGHT Federal troops are increasingly turning to high-tech tracking tools that push the boundaries of personal privacy
-
‘My donation felt like a rejection of the day’s politics’Instant Opinion Opinion, comment and editorials of the day
-
Trump sues IRS for $10B over tax record leaksSpeed Read The president is claiming ‘reputational and financial harm’ from leaks of his tax information between 2018 and 2020
-
Trump, Senate Democrats reach DHS funding dealSpeed Read The deal will fund most of the government through September and the Department of Homeland Security for two weeks
-
Fed holds rates steady, bucking Trump pressureSpeed Read The Federal Reserve voted to keep its benchmark interest rate unchanged
-
Judge slams ICE violations amid growing backlashSpeed Read ‘ICE is not a law unto itself,’ said a federal judge after the agency violated at least 96 court orders
-
Rep. Ilhan Omar attacked with unknown liquidSpeed Read This ‘small agitator isn’t going to intimidate me from doing my work’
-
Democrats pledge Noem impeachment if not firedSpeed Read Trump is publicly defending the Homeland Security secretary
-
The billionaires’ wealth tax: a catastrophe for California?Talking Point Peter Thiel and Larry Page preparing to change state residency
-
Hegseth moves to demote Sen. Kelly over videospeed read Retired Navy fighter pilot Mark Kelly appeared in a video reminding military service members that they can ‘refuse illegal orders’
