The Oklahoma legislature passed its third major abortion ban in a little over a month Thursday, as House lawmakers gave final approval to a bill banning abortion starting at conception that's modeled after Texas' ban on the procedure and can take effect even if the Supreme Court hasn't.
A group of abortion rights supporters march in New York City.
After the Senate passed the bill in April, the House voted to approve new amendments and pass the bill in a 73-16 vote.
The bill only applies to cases of medical emergencies, rape, incest and sexual assault if they have been reported to law enforcement.
Private citizens are allowed to bring lawsuits against anyone who aids or abets abortion in Texas and Oklahoma.
The provision was designed to make it harder to strike down the ban in court.
Though other bills that ban abortion starting at fertilization have raised concerns, it doesn't apply to contraception like Plan B.
The bill will be signed into law by Gov. Kevin Stitt, who is against abortion rights.
There is little concern in the Capitol for constitutional protections because of the commitment of Oklahoma politicians to steamroll the rights of the people they serve.
The Center for Reproductive Rights will challenge the legislation in court.
The bill defines the term "woman" as being based on biological sex and has been opposed by the American Civil Liberties Union of Oklahoma.
After the legislature passed a total abortion ban in early April that makes performing the procedure a felony, and then a six-week ban modeled after Texas' law, Oklahoma lawmakers passed a third major abortion ban. The other full abortion ban won't take effect until the summer, and it's likely to be easier to strike down in court, as a leaked draft opinion from the Supreme Court suggests. Oklahoma is one of a number of GOP-led states that have enacted abortion bans in recent months, but lawmakers have become particularly motivated to outlaw the procedure in the state in light of Texas' ban, which sent a flood of Texans seeking abortions to Oklahoma. The University of Texas at Austin studied how many Texas patients went to Oklahoma for abortions after the Texas ban took effect.
Oklahoma is going to outlaw abortion after the legislature passes two Texas-style bans.
The Oklahoma Legislature passed a bill that makes performing an abortion a felony.
Oklahoma has a 6-week abortion ban.
Oklahoma is already living it, advocates say.
Many states are bracing for a post-Roe world. It is almost here in Oklahoma. On the 19th.
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