Two abortion business have filed a lawsuit against the two Oklahoma laws that are currently banning abortions in the Sooner State following the Supreme Court decision to overturn Roe v. Wade.
has the distinction of becoming the first in the nation to successfully ban aboritons from conception when Governor Kevin Stitt signed its Texas-style abortion ban earlier this month. But, with the Supreme Court reversing Roe, the state’s trigger ban has gone into effect — which successfully bans abortions without having to rely on a private enforcement mechanism. This will allow state and local officials to uphold the abortion ban and punish abortionists who defy it and kill babies.
Oklahoma Attorney General John O’Connor sent a letter to several state leaders certifying that a “trigger law” that reinstates an abortion ban from 1910.
But today, Planned Parenthood, the Center for Reproductive Justice, the Oklahoma Call for Reproductive Justice and the Tulsa Women’s Reproductive Clinic abortion company filed suit against the laws. They are asking the Oklahoma Supreme Court to strike them down.
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In the lawsuit, the groups argue that the laws go against protections for personal liberty enshrined in the Oklahoma Constitution.
The groups also argue that Oklahoma’s anti-abortion laws overlap and contradict each other, and they’ve requested an emergency order to block the bans while litigation proceeds.
“For over a month, Oklahomans have been completely deprived of abortion access, and they cannot wait one moment more,” said Alexis McGill Johnson, president and CEO of the Planned Parenthood Federation of America. “Today, we are asking this court not only to quickly block the state’s cruel abortion bans, but to do its job and protect the people of Oklahoma.”
When the Supreme Court struck down Roe, O’Connor said, “This is a huge day for Americans, and certainly those who believe life begins at conception.”
“The womb is now, in Oklahoma, the safest place for a child to be,” O’Connor said.
Meanwhile, Governor Stitt also celebrated the Supreme Court ruling.
“Today we are here to celebrate a lot of hard work,” Stitt said.
“When I ran for governor, I promised Oklahomans that I would sign every piece of pro-life legislation that hit my desk, and I’m thrilled to have kept that promise,” Stitt said.
As LifeNews reported, the Supreme Court has overturned Roe v. Wade, with a 6-3 majority ruling in the Dobbs case that “The Constitution does not confer a right to abortion” — allowing states to ban abortions and protect unborn babies. The high court also ruled 6-3 uphold the Mississippi 15-week abortion ban so states can further limit abortions and to get rid of the false viability standard.
Chief Justice John Roberts technically voted for the judgment but, in his concurring opinion, disagreed with the reasoning and said he wanted to keep abortions legal but with a new standard.
Texas and Oklahoma had banned abortions before Roe was overturned and Missouri became the first state after Roe to protect babies from abortions and South Dakota became the 2nd. Then Arkansas became the third state protecting babies from abortions and Kentucky became the 4th and Louisiana became the 5th and Ohio became the 6th and Utah became the 7th and Oklahoma became the 8th and Alabama became the 9th. This week, Mississippi became the 10th and South Carolina became the 11th,Texas became the 12th with its pre-Roe law and Tennessee became the 13th.
Michigan, Wisconsin and West Virginia have old pro-life laws on the books but there is question about whether they are applicable and will be enforced.
Ultimately, as many as 26 states could immediately or quickly ban abortions and protect babies from certain death for the first time in nearly 50 years.
The 13 total states with trigger laws that would effectively ban all or most abortions are: Arkansas, Idaho, Kentucky, Louisiana, Missouri, Mississippi, North Dakota, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah and Wyoming.
“Abortion presents a profound moral question. The Constitution does not prohibit the citizens of each State from regulating or prohibiting abortion. Roe and Casey arrogated that authority. We now overrule those decisions and return that authority to the people and their elected representatives,” Alito wrote.
“Roe was egregiously wrong from the start. Its reasoning was exceptionally weak, and the decision has had damaging consequences,” Alito wrote. “And far from bringing about a national settlement of the abortion issue, Roe and Casey have enflamed debate and deepened division.”
This is a landmark day for the Pro-Life movement and our entire nation. After staining the moral fabric of our country for nearly 50 years, Roe v. Wade is no more.
Justices Sonia Sotomayor, Elena Kagan and Stephen Breyer authored a joint dissent condemning the decision as enabling states to enact “draconian” restrictions on women.
Polls show Americans are pro-life on abortion.
