Under the measure, the woman would not be criminally charged or convicted for the death of her “unborn child.” The legislation does not prohibit the use, sale, prescription or administration of contraceptives.
Stitt will be joined at the signing ceremony Tuesday by members of the state legislature, faith leaders and a number of anti-abortion groups “in support of protecting lives of unborn children in Oklahoma,” the governor’s office said in a statement.
Oklahoma Republican state Rep. Jim Olsen, SB 612’s principal House author, previously told CNN that he believes “rape and incest is a horrible crime” and though the baby is conceived in a “horrible situation” that it “still has a right to life.”
“The baby should not be liable for the sins of the father,” he said. “It’s still a life.”
The bill was decried by abortion rights proponents throughout the legislative process, including the Planned Parenthood Action Fund, which said last week that the law “would be devastating” for Oklahomans and also Texans, who make up nearly half of the patients who seek abortion care in Oklahoma.
“Now, Oklahomans could face a future where they would have no place left in their state to go to seek this basic health care,” the group said in a news release.
CNN’s Amy Simonson contributed to this report.
Quoted from Various Sources
Published for: The Bloggers Briefing