Oklahoma Republican Governor Kevin Stitt signed a bill on Tuesday making abortion a felony into law except under certain conditions including medical emergency.
Earlier this month, Oklahoma lawmakers overwhelmingly voted to ban abortion and imprison doctors who perform the procedure.
Senate Bill 612 will have an exception for an abortion if it saves the expectant mother’s life. Doctors who perform abortions will be fined $100,000 and spend up to 10 years in prison.
Under this new law, cases of rape and incest do not provide exceptions.
“As governor, I represent all 4 million Oklahomans and they overwhelmingly support protecting life in the state of Oklahoma. We want Oklahoma to be the most pro-life state in the country. We want to outlaw abortion in the state of Oklahoma,” the governor said.
Washington Examiner reported:
The bill, SB 612, bans abortion at all stages, except for cases in which the mother’s life is at risk, and does not make exceptions for cases of rape and incest. Abortion providers who violate the new law are subject to a fine of up to $100,000 and 10 years in prison.
“We’re going to sign every piece of pro-life legislation that hits our desk,” Stitt said. “We want it clear that we want to choose life in Oklahoma. We don’t want to allow abortions in the state of Oklahoma right now.”
Stitt added that he and state Attorney General John O’Connor “know this bill will be challenged immediately by liberal activists from the coast who always seem to want to come in and dictate a mandate and challenge our way of life here in the state of Oklahoma.”
The bill first passed out of the Senate last year but was shelved temporarily. The House unexpectedly took it up for a vote earlier this month without debate or questions on the floor. It passed the House with a vote of 70 to 14.
“SB 612 is monumental for the unborn in OK. It is the strongest Pro-Life bill in the nation, and I was honored to author it and work with my colleagues in the legislature to get this bill passed,” said GOP state Sen. Nathan Dahm.