The governor of Oklahoma, Kevin Stitt, has just signed the most restrictive abortion law in the U.S., despite federal law that says abortion is legal. Under the new Oklahoma legislation, anyone who performs an abortion is subject to 10 years in prison and a fine of up to $100,000. The bill does not authorize charges against women for terminating a pregnancy.
The bill, which takes effect 90 days after the Legislature adjourns next month, makes an exception only for an abortion performed to save the life of the mother. Abortion rights advocates say the bill signed by the GOP governor is likely to face a legal challenge.
The Associated Press
The Supreme Court will rule later this year on a challenge to Roe v. Wade. The Oklahoma law will be challenged in court before the high court rules.
NPR adds:
“We want Oklahoma to be the most pro-life state in the country,” Stitt said at a Tuesday morning bill signing. “We want to outlaw abortion in the state of Oklahoma.”
It’s the latest conservative jurisdiction to enact a new restriction on abortion, as Republican-led states across the country push to limit reproductive rights.
The recent wave of bills restricting abortion comes as the country awaits the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision in a landmark reproductive rights case. Some legal experts predict the conservative court could weaken or even overturn the constitutional right to an abortion in the first two trimesters of pregnancy guaranteed in Roe v. Wade.
NPR
