Oklahoma lawmakers have passed a bill that bans nearly all abortions starting at fertilization. The measure now heads to Republican Governor Kevin Stitt, who’s promised to sign what will become the nation’s strictest anti-abortion law. The legislation allows anyone to sue doctors who perform abortions or anyone who “aids or abets” an abortion — modeled on Texas’s anti-abortion law that took effect in September. The vote in Oklahoma comes just weeks after the publication of a leaked draft opinion showed the Supreme Court is preparing to overturn Roe v. Wade.
only exceptions are to save the life of the pregnant person or cases of rape or incest that have to be reported to law enforcement. Right? And so, these are very, very narrow exceptions, that are subject to the interpretation of medical providers who are going to be terrified of violating this law.
And as you point out, this law begins at fertilization, which — you know, basic science lesson here for Oklahoma lawmakers: Fertilization is actually before pregnancy begins. Right? The fertilized egg, when it implants in the uterus, that’s when pregnancy starts, OK? Fertilization at the moment of the sperm and egg coming together is something that we
— source democracynow.org | May 20, 2022
