Oklahoma’s Lower House approves near-total abortion ban

Washington, Mar 22 (EFE).- Oklahoma’s Lower House on Tuesday approved a bill that bans all abortions except those necessary to save the pregnant person’s life, which could become the most restrictive legislation in the United States.

The text, endorsed with 78 votes in favor and 19 against, must now be approved by the state Senate and then promulgated by Republican governor Kevin Stitt, who has expressed being in favor of restricting the right to abortion.

The Oklahoma proposal prohibits doctors from performing an abortion at any time during a pregnancy unless it is to save the life of the pregnant person.

In addition, it allows individuals to file civil lawsuits against anyone suspected of helping a person get an abortion.

After the approval, the NGO American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) said it was “a dark moment for Oklahomans’ ability to control their own bodies and futures.”

“No one should have to leave their home state to get the care they need. For many, traveling to another state won’t be an option, forcing them to continue their pregnancies against their will,” the ACLU said.

Abortion has been legal in the US since the Supreme Court ruled in 1973 that the state has no right to intervene in a woman’s decisions about her pregnancy, but several conservative states have imposed restrictions over the past two decades.

It is expected that the conservative majority in the Supreme Court will restrict the right to abortion in the country in June or July, when it will decide on a Mississippi law that would limit abortion from 15 weeks and that therefore also contradicts the 1973 ruling.

If that happens, 26 conservative-leaning states are expected to have abortion restrictions, leaving millions of patients in limbo in the US, where the majority of women seeking abortions cannot afford travel to other states.

Until now, the most restrictive law is in Texas, neighboring Oklahoma, where abortion is prohibited as soon as fetal heart activity is detected – around six weeks of gestation. EFE

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