Oklahoma Governor Brad Henry Gets Sex-Selection Abortion Ban, Reporting Bill
by Steven Ertelt
LifeNews.com Editor
May 19, 2009
Oklahoma City, OK (LifeNews.com) — Oklahoma Gov. Brad Henry has received a bill from the state legislature that would tighten abortion reporting requirements and ban sex-selection abortions. A statewide pro-life group is urging pro-life advocates to contact Governor Henry to ask him to sign the measure into law.
The House passed the legislation 93-4 in February and the state Senate backed HB 1595 on a 34-10 vote last month.
The bill, a priority of Oklahomans for Life, would prohibit using abortions for purposes of sex-selection and would allow better reporting information about abortions done across the state.
The measure was given final approval by the state Senate on Friday and now Henry will decide whether to sign or veto it.
Tony Lauinger, the head of the pro-life group, tells LifeNews.com that Henry "is being urged by pro-abortion forces to veto the bill. He has until midnight Thursday to decide what to do."
Lauinger expects an intense battle in the legislature if Henry decides to veto the bill, which he appears to believe is possible.
"Our best chance for this bill’s becoming law rests not with the Governor, but with the willingness of senators to override a veto," he said.
As a result, he is asking pro-life advocates to not only ask Henry to sign the bill but for state senators to override a potential veto.
"Please thank your senator if he or she voted for this crucial pro-life bill, and ask your senator to vote to override the veto if the Governor vetoes the bill," he said.
"HB 1595 is the abortion-reporting bill which will also prohibit sex-selection abortions. In addition, HB 1595 requires reporting of complications of abortion and will ensure abortion-facility compliance with existing abortion statutes," Lauinger adds about why Oklahomans for Life supports the bill.
HB 1595 was the total focus of Rose Day, the pro-life lobbying day at the Capitol the first week of session in February.
Lauinger says abortion advocates like to talk about how they want to make abortion "safe, legal and rare" and he tells LifeNews.com that the bill "is needed to measure the accuracy of that claim."
"Complications from abortion, especially, are seldom reported, and the extent of the damage abortion does to women’s health is not known," he said.
ACTION: Contact Governor Henry by going to https://www.gov.ok.gov/index.php and ask him to sign HB 1595 into law.
Related web sites:
Oklahoma Governor – https://www.gov.ok.gov/index.php
Oklahomans for Life – https://www.okforlife.org
Oklahoma State Legislature – https://www.lsb.state.ok.us
Sign Up for Free Pro-Life News From LifeNews.com
Daily Pro-Life News Report Twice-Weekly Pro-Life
News Report Receive a free daily email report from LifeNews.com with the latest pro-life news stories on abortion, euthanasia and stem cell research. Sign up here. Receive a free twice-weekly email report with the latest pro-life news headlines on abortion, euthanasia and stem cell research. Sign up here.
