Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt on Wednesday signed into law the nation’s strictest abortion ban, making the state the first to end the availability of the procedure effectively.
Stitt signed HB4327, which essentially end access to almost all abortion in the state of Oklahoma/
Lawmakers approved the bill, which is enforced by civil lawsuits rather than criminal prosecution, similar to the Texas law, SB8, that was passed in 2021. HB4327 took effect immediately and prohibits all abortions with few exceptions.
Abortion providers said they would stop performing the procedure as soon as the bill was signed.
“I promised Oklahomans that as governor I would sign every piece of pro-life legislation that came across my desk and I am proud to keep that promise today,” the Governor said in a statement. “From the moment life begins at conception is when we have a responsibility as human beings to do everything we can to protect that baby’s life and the life of the mother. That is what I believe and that is what the majority of Oklahomans believe.”
The move comes in the shadow of a recent revelation that the U.S. Supreme Court may overturn the landmark Roe V. Wade case that made abortion a legal reality in the United States.
Earlier this month, a leaked document from Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito indicated that the nation’s highest court was set to overturn the landmark 1973 case that solidified abortion access in the United States.
The news broke, sending the nation into a mixed sense of concern, celebration, and confusion. Abortion supporters and opponents gathered to protest and celebrate outside the Supreme Court within hours. Tensions have continued to rise since Politico published the leaked document.