Oklahoma Becomes First State to Officially Ban Abortion

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A week after lawmakers passed a bill prohibiting abortions from the moment of "fertilization" by the Oklahoma House, Governor Kevin Stitt has signed H.B. 4327 into law, enforcing a total ban on abortion, effective immediately.

The decision makes Oklahoma the only state in the United States to outlaw abortion under the historical Supreme Court ruling on Roe v. Wade which has protected reproductive rights for the past fifty years.

Under the parameters of Oklahoma's S.B. 1503, abortions after six weeks of pregnancy were already banned, however, the new bill signed by Stitt prohibits abortion of "an embryo in any stage of gestation from fertilization until birth." The use of emergency contraception such as Plan B is allowed, however, medical abortions using pills are prohibited.

"An abortion ban in Oklahoma is especially harmful given that for the past eight months, Oklahoma has been a critical access point for Texans who have been forced to flee to surrounding states to access abortion past the earliest stages of pregnancy due to S.B. 8," Alejandra Soto, Director of Latino Communications, Planned Parenthood Federation of America, explains.

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Soto continues, "If the Supreme Court's leaked decision becomes final, 26 states could quickly move to ban abortion; 36 million women—nearly half of the women of reproductive age (18-49) in the United States—and other people who can become pregnant could lose abortion access."

The new bill only allows exceptions in cases of rape, incest or if the mother's life is at risk.

The bill also creates a similar bounty-hunter parameter to Texas' SB8 Bill, where private citizens can sue anyone who aids in, performing an abortion for up to $10,000.

"Instead of working to make communities safer, Oklahoma politicians have made it their priority to outlaw abortion, even while Roe stands," said Alexis McGill Johnson, president and CEO, Planned Parenthood Federation of America.

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McGill Johnson continues, "The cruelty of this law and this crisis cannot be overstated. At a time when communities are facing senseless tragedies and immeasurable grief, politicians have opted to use their position and power to instill more fear—all while taking away people's right to decide what is best for their own bodies, lives, and futures at every turn."

With the new bill in place, many people of color will see the effects almost immediately.

Soto explains, "Barriers to essential reproductive health services disproportionately harm Black, Latino, and Indigenous communities, people with low incomes, and people living in rural areas."

"And for many immigrants, the obstacles created by abortion bans are compounded as they often are ineligible for public health coverage and may be unable to travel for care due to immigration enforcement," she affirms.

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"I promised Oklahomans that as governor I would sign every piece of pro-life legislation that came across my desk and I am proud to keep that promise today," he said in a statement on Wednesday.

The decision comes at a time when conservatives across the United States continue to push for the elimination of abortion access across the country. On May 2, a leaked brief from the Supreme Court caused an uproar as it suggested the elimination of Roe v. Wade.

"We hold that Roe and Casey must be overruled," Justice Samuel Alito wrote in the draft, obtained by POLITICO. "The Constitution makes no reference to abortion, and no such right is implicitly protected by any constitutional provision."