OKLAHOMA CITY (KFOR) – Abortion is now banned in Oklahoma after the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade. The move ends constitutional protections for abortion in the Sooner State and allows all states to decide if the procedure should be legal or not.
Even before the ruling, Oklahoma was already home to some of the strictest anti-abortion measures in the entire country. Friday afternoon, Gov. Kevin Stitt, Oklahoma Attorney General John O’Connor and, through a statement, the Oklahoma Democratic Party spoke out on the landmark decision.
“The womb is now, in Oklahoma, the safest place for a child to be,” said Oklahoma Attorney General John O’Connor.
“Today, we are here to celebrate a lot of hard work,” Stitt said.
Both the governor and attorney general applauded the Supreme Court’s move to overturn the 50-years of precedent allowing constitutional rights to abortion. O’Connor certified section 861 in Oklahoma, which bans abortions in the short term. But SB 612 that was passed this year will become the primary law once it takes effect in late August.
“This is not only a victory for unborn children,” O’Connor said. “This is a victory for everybody who believes in our system of government.”
Until then, civil penalties can be handed down under HB 4327, which effectively bans abortion at conception. However, it included the exceptions for rape, incest or if the mother’s life is at stake. O’Connor added that advertising abortion is illegal and private companies facilitating them are also breaking the law.
“Oklahoma’s law is very clear now,” he said.
The Oklahoma Democratic Party released a statement on the ruling as well. The statement can be read in full below:
“Today’ Supreme Court decision is unsettling. Though the opinion was leaked, the reality is still a lot to process. This decision does not end abortion, it ends safe, legal abortions in our state. I fear for the lives that will be lost. I am concerned about the children who will be born into poverty, violence, and food insecurity. This decision is a prime example of have versus have not legislation. The haves will still have access. The rights of the have nots have just been severely limited. In Oklahoma, the state that ranks fifty-first in outcomes for women, this is a dangerous decision. It strengthens the resolve of the Oklahoma Democratic Party to galvanize voters that respect a woman’s right to bodily autonomy and privacy.”
Oklahoma Democratic Party
Anti-abortion advocates hope today’s ruling is just the beginning though.
“It is my hope that the rest of America will follow Oklahoma’s lead,” Stitt said.
We’re told the law does not affect any contraception or fertility treatments. Mothers will also not face any punishment, civil or criminal, only those who help her get an abortion.