Oklahoma governor vetoes bill making abortion a felony
The bill would have sent doctors who performed abortions to prison.
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.Oklahoma’s Republican Governor Mary Fallin vetoed a bill on Friday that would have sent doctors who performed abortions to prison.
Governor Fallin said that the legislation would have never withstood a criminal constitutional legal challenge, since the US Supreme Court ruled abortion legal in 1973.
"The bill is so ambiguous and so vague that doctors cannot be certain what medical circumstances would be considered 'necessary to preserve the life of the mother,'" Fallin said. "While I consistently have and continue to support a re-examination of the United States Supreme Court's decision in Roe v. Wade, this legislation cannot accomplish that re-examination."
The statement from the governor’s office also reassured her supporters that she is the “most pro-life governor in the nation.”
The Republican-dominated legislature approved the bill yesterday, that would have revoked the license of any doctor performing abortions. Abortion rights groups promised a tough and expensive legal battle if the bill had been signed into law, which Oklahoma simply could not afford as it battles a $1.3 billion budget hole, according to Reuters.
“Governor Fallin did the right thing today in vetoing this utterly unconstitutional and dangerous bill,” Nancy Northup, president and CEO of the Center for Reproductive Rights, said in a statement.