Oklahoma Legislature Passes Law to Prohibit Nurses From Killing Babies in Abortions

State   |   Micaiah Bilger   |   Apr 22, 2021   |   11:06AM   |   Oklahoma City, Oklahoma

Oklahoma pro-life lawmakers took action to protect mothers this week by requiring that abortions be performed by board-certified obstetricians and gynecologists.

The legislation comes at a critical time when abortion activists are trying to expand abortions by taking doctors out of the process. In some states, nurse practitioners and midwives are allowed to abort unborn babies. And, earlier this month, the Biden administration blocked FDA safety regulations on abortion drugs, allowing them to be sent through the mail without the mother ever seeing a doctor in person.

Pushing back against this dangerous trend, the Oklahoma Senate passed state House Bill 1904 on Tuesday and sent it to Gov. Kevin Stitt for his signature, The Duncan Banner reports.

The bill requires that all abortions performed in Oklahoma be done by licensed doctors who are board-certified OB-GYNs.

State Sen. Jessica Garvin, R-Duncan, who sponsored the bill, said she wants to protect mothers as well as unborn babies. Until Roe v. Wade is overturned and states can ban abortions again, Garvin said lawmakers can at least protect women by requiring that abortions be performed by a trained medical professional, according to the report.

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“This can be a dangerous procedure, and should an emergency arise or the mother experience adverse effects, she’ll have a doctor specially trained to handle such situations. This will help better protect our state’s unborn and the health of their mothers,” she said.

Garvin told lawmakers that about 100,000 unborn babies have been aborted in Oklahoma since 2012, and she hopes the bill will protect unborn babies’ lives as well as mothers.

State Rep. Cynthia Roe, R-Lindsay, who sponsored the bill in the House, also emphasized the importance of protecting both mothers and unborn babies from abortion, according to the report.

The bill ensures “that when abortion does occur, it is absolutely medically necessary to save the life of mother and the physician performing this procedure is extremely well-qualified,” Roe said. “I am optimistic that this legislation will help lower the abortion rate in Oklahoma. I’m very glad the bill was passed by the House and eagerly look forward to the governor signing it into law.”

However, some Democrat-controlled states are moving in the opposite direction. Earlier this month, Hawaii Gov. David Ige signed a pro-abortion law allowing nurses to abort unborn babies. According to The Hill, other states that allow nurse practitioners and midwives to abort unborn babies include California, Colorado, Maine, Massachusetts, Montana, New Hampshire, Virginia and Vermont.

A 2013 California study found that abortions done by non-physicians were twice as likely to have complications as those done by licensed physicians.