Oklahoma Bill To Send Abortion Doctors To Jail

Oklahoma lawmakers passed a bill that would revoke the license of an abortionist doctor and send him to jail. The bill was approved by the Republican-dominated Senate and awaits the signature of Oklahoma Governor Mary Fallin.

Nathan Dahm, the author of the bill and a Republican said this is their proper function, to protect life. The Senate Bill 152 would make abortion a felony. It is punishable by up to three years in prison. It also calls on state medical boards to invalidate licenses for the execution of an abortion. On the other hand, it allows an exemption for the abortion necessary to preserve the life of the mother, according to Reuters.

Medscape reports that the Oklahoma State Medical Association (OSMA) contradicts the bill and they are urging Governor Fallin to exercise her veto pen. Sherri Baker, MD, and OSMA President said that it is simply unconscionable that, at a time when the state already faces an unyielding physician shortage, the Senate would waste its time on a bill that is patently unconstitutional and whose only purposes are to score political points and alarm physicians across the state.

Wes Glinsman, the association's director of state political and legislative affairs said that OSMA does not take a position on the legality of abortion, yet as long as the procedure is legal; it opposes any legislation that would override a physician's judgment or interfere with the physician-patient relationship. Likewise, Amanda Allen, a legislative counsel of Center for Reproductive Rights (CRR) stated that the bill will almost certainly lead to expensive court challenges that the state of Oklahoma merely cannot defend in light of longstanding Supreme Court precedent.

Governor Fallin is on the short list of possible vice presidential choices of Donald Trump. She has signed 18 bills constraining access to reproductive health care services since she had her office 5 years ago. She is given 5 days to sign or veto the latest antiabortion legislation before it certainly becomes a law.