Oklahoma House Passes Anti-Abortion Bill Like Texas’, Only Stricter
Under the new law, "fertilization" is defined as the moment egg and sperm meet, and it also prohibits medicine-induced abortions (beyond when Plan B pills work). The bill moved to the desk of Gov. Kevin Stitt, who is expected to sign it. For more longer-read stories about abortion and the current threat to reproductive health in the U.S., scroll down to our Weekend Reading section.
Tulsa World:
Oklahoma House Sends Abortion Bill Modeled After Texas Law To Governor
An abortion bill some are calling the most restrictive in the nation was sent to Gov. Kevin Stitt on Thursday morning by the Oklahoma House of Representatives. Stitt is expected to sign House Bill 4327, by Rep. Wendi Stearman, R-Collinsville, which both pro and con agree will effectively end legal abortions in the state by opening providers and anyone who “aids or abets the performance or inducement of an abortion, including paying for or reimbursing the costs of an abortion through insurance or otherwise,” or even intends to do so, to civil liability. The bill favors plaintiffs over defendants by forbidding courts to award attorney fees and other costs to defendants, even if they prevail in court, and allows just about anyone to act as plaintiff. It specifies that a minimum of $10,000 be awarded to prevailing plaintiffs. (Krehbiel, 5/20)
The Washington Post:
Oklahoma Lawmakers Pass Bill Banning Abortion After Fertilization
The bill defines “fertilization” as the moment a sperm meets the egg. It explicitly allows for the use of the Plan B pill, a widely used form of emergency contraception, but would prohibit medical abortions using pills. The bill exempts from its definition of abortion any procedure to “save the life or preserve the health of the unborn child,” to “remove a dead unborn child caused by spontaneous abortion” or to remove an ectopic pregnancy, in which the fetus grows outside the uterus. (Wang, Sonmez and Kitchener, 5/19)
AP:
Oklahoma Passes Strictest Abortion Ban; Services To Stop
Two of Oklahoma’s four abortion clinics already stopped providing abortions after the governor signed a six-week ban earlier this month, and an attorney for the two other independent clinics said Thursday they will no longer offer services once the bill is signed. The bill is likely to reach Gov. Kevin Stitt’s desk early next week, and the first-term Republican running for reelection has already said he would sign any anti-abortion bill the Legislature sends to him. It would take effect immediately after he signs it. (Murphy, 5/19)
The Hill:
White House Condemns Restrictive Oklahoma Abortion Law
White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre condemned a law passed by Oklahoma lawmakers on Thursday that would ban abortions with very limited exceptions. “Today’s action by the Oklahoma legislature is the most extreme effort to undo these fundamental rights we have seen to date. In addition, it adopts Texas’ absurd plan to allow private citizens to sue their neighbors for providing reproductive health care and helping women to exercise their constitutional rights,” Jean-Pierre said in a statement. (Vakil, 5/19)
In abortion news from Kentucky —
Louisville Courier Journal:
Judge Holds Abortion Law Block, Win For Planned Parenthood, EMW Center
A federal judge issued an order Thursday that preliminarily blocks a new ban on abortions after 15 weeks of pregnancy in Kentucky from taking effect for now. In addition to putting the 15-week abortion ban on ice, the judge also blocked enforcement of major parts of the law that would restrict access to abortion medication and place new restrictions on abortion access for people under 18 years old. This ruling means abortion services remain available to Kentuckians without being impacted by these restrictions under the law, the ultimate legality of which is still unresolved in this court case. (Watkins and Sonka, 5/19)
AP:
Federal Judge Again Extends Ban On Kentucky Abortion Law
U.S. District Judge Rebecca Grady Jennings’ ruling means that Kentucky officials cannot enforce other disputed provisions until the state adopts and funds regulations under which abortion providers would have to comply. The judge had previously suspended enforcement of the measure passed by the Republican-dominated legislature last month over a veto by Democratic Gov. Andy Beshear. (Schreiner and Lovan, 5/19)
In other abortion developments —
St. Louis Post-Dispatch:
St. Louis Abortion Provider Tells Vice President, 'A Post-Roe Reality Is Coming For All Of Us'
Vice President Kamala Harris met Thursday with abortion providers from some of the most restrictive states in the country, including Missouri, to learn how the Biden administration can help protect access to abortion amid a looming U.S. Supreme Court decision that could end the constitutional right to the procedure. Harris held the virtual meeting with providers from across the country, including Oklahoma, Kansas, Texas and Missouri. Dr. Colleen McNicholas, chief medical officer for the Reproductive Health Services of Planned Parenthood of the St. Louis Region, was among those invited. “This experience in Missouri forced us to face the truth: a post-Roe reality is coming for all of us,” McNicholas said. (Munz, 5/19)
Fortune and Bloomberg:
Mastercard To Help Pay For Workers Abortion Travel Costs
Mastercard Inc. said it would help pay for workers to travel to access abortions if pregnancy terminations aren’t available in their home state. ... With the move, Mastercard is joining companies including Citigroup Inc., Apple Inc. and Match Group Inc. in promising to cover employees’ travel costs incurred to access abortion. ... Mastercard has long paid for workers to travel to access other health services, including organ transplants and other specialty surgeries, according to the memo. The new abortion travel policy goes into effect June 1, according to the memo. (Surane, 5/18)
