Legislature Approves Abortion Felony Bill
Oklahoma Legislature passes bill making it a felony to perform an abortion
by Rick Green
Oklahoma would be the first state in the nation to effectively ban abortion under a bill lawmakers approved Thursday and sent to the governor to be signed into law.
Gov. Mary Fallin declined to say what she would do with the measure, which would make it a felony to perform an abortion, punishable by at least a year in prison. Also, it calls for revoking the medical license of any doctor who performs the procedure.
Senate Bill 1552, approved 33-12, likely will lead to a court challenge. Its author, Sen. Nathan Dahm, welcomes that, saying he hopes the issue goes to the U.S. Supreme Court and results in the overturning of the landmark 1973 Roe v. Wade decision, which legalized abortion.
“Most people know I am for defending rights,” said Dahm, R-Broken Arrow. “Those rights begin at conception.”