Oklahoma Legislature Sends Abortion Reporting Bill to Governor Brad Henry
by Steven Ertelt
LifeNews.com Editor
May 11, 2010
Oklahoma City, OK (LifeNews.com) — The Oklahoma state Senate today gave final approval to an abortion reporting bill meant to help the state reduce abortions. The bill now goes to Governor Brad Henry, who has a mixed record on signing pro-life laws and already vetoed this year a bill to allow women to see an ultrasound of their baby.
The Senate voted 32-11 to approve House Bill 3284, dubbed the "Statistical Abortion Reporting Act."
HB 3284 provides for the reporting of abortions performed in Oklahoma, the reasons abortions are sought, and the complications that result.
The measure has the support of pro-life groups as Tony Lauinger of Oklahomans for Life told LifeNews.com previously: "Knowing why women seek abortions may make it possible to solve underlying problems. The reporting of complications will allow an assessment of the untested claim that abortion is ‘safe.’"
"The bill will help protect the health of women by providing for reporting of complications and it will help identify reason that women have abortions which will help make it possible to address underlying problems," he said.
A similar bill passed last year but it was combined with other pro-life bills into one measure and courts struck it down as violating state law requiring every bill to deal with just one subject even though they all concerned abortion.
Sen. Jim Wilson, a Democrat, attacked the bill during the debate saying that obtaining more information about why abortions are done would somehow "intimidate women."
"This is not about women," responded Sen. Steve Russell, R-Oklahoma City. "It is about children in the womb deserving a life that got created. It is not about harassing women. It is about killing children."
Sen. Debbe Leftwich also spoke against the bill while Sen. Clark Jolley supported it.
Related web sites:
Oklahoma Governor – https://www.gov.ok.gov
Oklahomans for Life – https://www.OkForLife.org
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.
