Oklahoma's Legislature Passed A Law Making It A Felony To Perform An Abortion

Oklahoma’s legislature passed a first-in-the-nation law Thursday that would make it a felony for abortion providers to perform or induce the procedure. Senate Bill 1552 now heads to the desk of Gov. Mary Fallin. It contains no exceptions for cases of rape and incest or to protect the health of a pregnant person. (Abortions necessary to save the mother’s life are acceptable under the law.) Doctors would be barred from obtaining a license to practice medicine in the state if they violated the law, which refers to performing an abortion as “unprofessional conduct.” The minimum punishment for the law would be one year in jail. There’s no doubt that the bill would be challenged if Fallin gives her approval. Her office told a local news outlet that it wouldn’t comment until her staff had reviewed the legislation.