UPDATEThe governor of the US state of Oklahoma signed a law Tuesday banning abortion after six weeks of pregnancy. The law, which resembles a similar one in the state of Texas, will make virtually all abortions illegal in the state.
The new law prohibits abortion from the moment a heartbeat has been detected in the embryo, usually after about six weeks. At that time, many women do not even know that they are pregnant. In addition, citizens in the state can sue anyone who “helps” or “instigates” the interruption of a pregnancy. The law in Oklahoma went into effect immediately after the signature of Governor Kevin Stitt. Abortion clinics immediately announced that they would stop providing services. There are exceptions to the rules in case of medical emergencies, but not in the case of rape or incest.
“I want Oklahoma to be the most pro-life state in the country because I represent all four million residents who overwhelmingly want to protect the unborn,” Stitt wrote on Twitter.
A similar law went into effect in Texas last September. That led to a sharp decline in the number of abortions in the state, the Associated Press reported. Many women went to other states to have pregnancy terminations performed.
Federal law
On Monday, it was announced that the U.S. Supreme Court intends to overturn the landmark ruling in the 1973 Roe v. Wade case. The ruling gave a federal right to abortion, requiring at least one clinic in every state where women could have an abortion.
If the court does indeed overturn the ruling, it will be up to individual states to determine whether or not abortion is allowed, and under what conditions. Dozens of states want to curb abortion laws. On the other hand, there are several states that have passed legislation that guarantees the right to an abortion.
Supreme Court President Judge John Roberts said on Tuesday that the leaked draft decision, while authentic, is not yet final.
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