Skip to content
NOWCAST KOCO 9am Weekday morning
Watch on Demand
Advertisement

Oklahoma lawmakers still want to know what is legal after abortion ban

At the center of their question is whether women could face punishment for aborting a child.

Oklahoma lawmakers still want to know what is legal after abortion ban

At the center of their question is whether women could face punishment for aborting a child.

STATE’S ATTORNEY GENERAL. OKLAHOMA’S RECENTLY PASSED LAWS ARE DESIGNED TO GO AFTER THE DOCTOR IS NOT A PREGNANT WOMEN. BUT THIS LETTER BY A GROUP OF REPUBLICAN LAWMAKERS SEEKS TO FIND OUT ABOUT SELF-INDUCED MEDICATION ABORTIONS, SPECIFICALLY THOSE THAT INVOLVE ABORTION PILLS OBTAINED THROUGH THE MAIL. THE SEVEN PAGE LETTER TO OUTGOING ATTORNEY GENERAL JOHN O’CONNOR ASKS SEVERAL QUESTIONS, INCLUDING CAN A MOTHER WHO PERFORMED OR INDUCE SUCH AN ABORTION BE LAWFULLY CHARGED HOMICIDE? THAT’S WHAT WE’RE ASKING FOR. CLARITY IS EXACTLY HOW THE STATUTES READ, BECAUSE WHEN ROE V WADE WENT INTO EFFECT AND THE TRIGGER LAW REPEALED, SOME OF OUR EXISTING STATUTES. NOW, THERE THERE EXISTS SOME UNCERTAINTY ON EXACTLY WHICH STATUTES APPLY WITH A SELF INDUCED ABORTION. IN THE PAST, THE ATTORNEY GENERAL HAS SAID WOMEN WHO GET AN ABORTION ARE NOT A TARGET OF THE STATE’S LAWS. THERE IS NO PUNISH LIMIT FOR THE MOTHER. THERE IS NO CRIMINAL PUNISHMENT. THERE IS NO CIVIL EXPOSURE FOR THE MOTHER. IT’S FOR THE PEOPLE WHO AID OR ABET OR SOLICIT ABORTION. BUT NOW, BECAUSE SOME OF THE OTHER BILLS HAVE BEEN REPEALED BY THE TRIGGER LAW, BECAUSE THERE ARE THOSE FROM OUT OF STATE LIKE THE BIDEN REGIME THAT ARE THAT ARE TRYING TO FORCE THIS IN THE STATE OF OKLAHOMA. WE’RE TRYING TO GET CERTAINTY ON EXACTLY WHAT THAT MEANS FOR THOSE THAT WOULD VIOLATE OUR STATE LAWS, INCLUDING, YES, POTENTIALLY EVEN MOTHERS, IF THEY ARE GOING TO SELF INDUCE AN ABORTION AGAINST THE LAWS OF THE STATE. IN A STATEMENT TO KOCO THE ACLU CLAIMS LAWMAKERS DEPEND ON CONFUSION IN ABORTION LAWS AND THAT NO ONE SHOULD BE CONVICTED OF A CRIME FOR MAKING THE BEST HEALTH CARE DECISIONS FOR THEMSELVES. TIME IS RUNNING OUT FOR THE CURRENT AG TO RESPOND TO THE
Advertisement
Oklahoma lawmakers still want to know what is legal after abortion ban

At the center of their question is whether women could face punishment for aborting a child.

Months after Oklahoma’s abortion ban went into effect, some lawmakers still want to know what exactly is legal.At the center of their question is whether women could face punishment for aborting a child. KOCO 5 got ahold of a letter those lawmakers sent to the state’s attorney general.Oklahoma’s recently passed laws were designed to go after the doctors, not pregnant people. The letter from a group of Republican lawmakers seeks to find out about “self-induced medication abortions,” specifically those that involved abortion pills obtained through the mail.The seven-page letter to outgoing Attorney General John O’Connor asked several questions, including can a mother who performed or induced such an abortion to be lawfully charged with homicide."That’s what we’re asking for clarity on, is exactly how the statutes read, because when Roe v. Wade went into effect, the trigger laws repealed some of our existing statutes. Now, there exists some uncertainty on which statutes apply with a self-induced abortion," said Sen. Nathan Dahm, (R-Broken Arrow).In the past, the attorney general has said women who get an abortion are not a target of the state’s laws. "There is no punishment for the mother. There is no criminal punishment. There is no civil exposure. It's for the people who aid or abet or solicit abortion," O’Connor said.In a statement to KOCO 5, the ACLU claims lawmakers depend on confusion in abortion laws."Because some of the other bills have been repealed by the trigger law, because there are those from out of state, like the Biden regime that are trying to force this in the state of Oklahoma, we’re trying to get certainty on what that means for those that would violate our state laws, including yes, potentially even mothers," Dahm said.The ACLU also said no one should be convicted of a crime for making the best health care decisions for themselves. The full statement is below."Oklahoma politicians have denied our freedom to make decisions about our health, our bodies, and our families every legislative session, chipping away at access to essential healthcare, including abortion. With seventeen bills filed last session and four of those signed into law, lawmakers depend on the confusion around those laws. Legality alone has never been enough to secure real access to abortion care in our state. Self-managed abortions are prohibited by Oklahoma statute, but despite current laws, making the best health care decisions for yourself and for those you love should never result in being charged or convicted of a crime. Access to abortion is not just about legality, it is about our dignity and our humanity."Time is running out for the attorney general to respond to the Oct. 13 letter. His term is up on Jan. 9.

Months after Oklahoma’s abortion ban went into effect, some lawmakers still want to know what exactly is legal.

At the center of their question is whether women could face punishment for aborting a child. KOCO 5 got ahold of a letter those lawmakers sent to the state’s attorney general.

Advertisement

Oklahoma’s recently passed laws were designed to go after the doctors, not pregnant people. The letter from a group of Republican lawmakers seeks to find out about “self-induced medication abortions,” specifically those that involved abortion pills obtained through the mail.

The seven-page letter to outgoing Attorney General John O’Connor asked several questions, including can a mother who performed or induced such an abortion to be lawfully charged with homicide.

"That’s what we’re asking for clarity on, is exactly how the statutes read, because when Roe v. Wade went into effect, the trigger laws repealed some of our existing statutes. Now, there exists some uncertainty on which statutes apply with a self-induced abortion," said Sen. Nathan Dahm, (R-Broken Arrow).

In the past, the attorney general has said women who get an abortion are not a target of the state’s laws.

"There is no punishment for the mother. There is no criminal punishment. There is no civil exposure. It's for the people who aid or abet or solicit abortion," O’Connor said.

In a statement to KOCO 5, the ACLU claims lawmakers depend on confusion in abortion laws.

"Because some of the other bills have been repealed by the trigger law, because there are those from out of state, like the Biden regime that are trying to force this in the state of Oklahoma, we’re trying to get certainty on what that means for those that would violate our state laws, including yes, potentially even mothers," Dahm said.

The ACLU also said no one should be convicted of a crime for making the best health care decisions for themselves. The full statement is below.

"Oklahoma politicians have denied our freedom to make decisions about our health, our bodies, and our families every legislative session, chipping away at access to essential healthcare, including abortion. With seventeen bills filed last session and four of those signed into law, lawmakers depend on the confusion around those laws. Legality alone has never been enough to secure real access to abortion care in our state. Self-managed abortions are prohibited by Oklahoma statute, but despite current laws, making the best health care decisions for yourself and for those you love should never result in being charged or convicted of a crime. Access to abortion is not just about legality, it is about our dignity and our humanity."

Time is running out for the attorney general to respond to the Oct. 13 letter. His term is up on Jan. 9.