Oklahoma Governor Kevin Stitt signed an even stricter abortion law on Wednesday than a few weeks ago. That report American media. The new law bans abortions from conception – which has banned almost all of them – and allows individuals to sue those who help women terminate their pregnancies. The abortion law, which takes effect immediately, is by far the strictest in the United States.
Under the new law, pregnancies can only be terminated if the woman’s life is in danger, and if the pregnancy is the result of rape or incest. In the latter two cases, the woman must have reported this to the police. Oklahoma’s four abortion clinics have temporarily stopped providing abortion services. Governor Stitt said in a statement he was “proud” that he kept his promise to sign “every piece of pro-life law.”
Also read this article about how America worked for decades towards criminalizing abortion
In early May, Oklahoma had already passed a law that makes abortion illegal after six weeks of pregnancy. This happened shortly after a leaked draft U.S. Supreme Court ruling revealed that the Court plans to overturn the federal right to abortion after nearly 50 years by ruling in the case. Roe v. Wade from 1973 to be annulled. This prohibited states from infringing on the right to undergo medical treatment such as abortion. The ruling in the case thus became the benchmark for abortion practice in the US.
Dozens of states
Until the US Supreme Court makes an official ruling, Roe v. Wade† Because of this, Oklahoma authorities cannot enforce the new ban, but because private individuals can sue helpers, the law is in practice Roe v. Wade to. As a result, the state does not have to wait for the ruling of the Court.
If the Court actually overturns the ruling, states can individually determine whether abortion may be banned and under what conditions. The case is expected to be decided before the summer recess. Dozens of Republican states want to curb their current abortion laws like Oklahoma.